cold Hear it!

cold definition

cold (kōld)

adjective

  1. of a temperature significantly or noticeably lower than average, normal, expected, or comfortable; very chilly; frigid a cold wind
    1. without the proper heat or warmth this soup is cold
    2. without the proper heat, warmth, or warm-up period: said of tires, engines, etc.
  2. dead
  3. feeling chilled
  4. without warmth of feeling; unfeeling; indifferent a cold personality
  5. not cordial or kind; unfriendly a cold reception
  6. sexually frigid
  7. depressing or saddening; gloomy to realize the cold truth
  8. not involving one's feelings; detached; objective cold logic
  9. designating or having colors that suggest cold, as tones of blue, green, or gray
  10. still far from what is being sought: said of the seeker
  11. not strong or fresh; faint or stale a cold scent
  12. Informal unconscious the boxer was knocked cold
  13. Informal unlucky or ineffective a cold streak in baseball

Etymology: ME < OE (Anglian) cald < IE base *gel-, cold > cool, Ger kalt, L gelidus

adverb

  1. ☆ absolutely; completely she was stopped cold
  2. ☆ with complete mastery the actor had the lines down cold
  3. with little or no preparation to enter a game cold

noun

    1. absence of heat; lack of warmth: often thought of as an active force
    2. a low temperature; esp., one below freezing
  1. the sensation produced by a loss or absence of heat
  2. cold weather
  3. a contagious, viral infection of the respiratory passages, esp. of the nose and throat, characterized by an acute inflammation of the mucous membranes, nasal discharge, malaise, etc.

Related Forms:

cold Idioms

catch cold

or take cold
to become ill with a cold

cold comfort

little or no comfort at all

come in from the cold

to come out of exile, isolation, etc.; resume an active role

leave someone cold

to fail to arouse someone's interest

have (or get) cold feet

Informal to be (or become) timid or fearful

in the cold

ignored; neglected

throw cold water on

to be unenthusiastic about or toward; discourage

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
cold Synonyms

cold

modif.

  1. Said of the weather

    chilly, cool, crisp, icy, freezing, frigid, frosty, rimy, wintry, bleak, nippy, brisk, keen, inclement, penetrating, snowy, frozen, sleety, blasting, cutting, brumal, snappy, algid, gelid, piercing, chill, bitter, numbing, severe, boreal, stinging, glacial, intense, Siberian, sharp, raw, nipping, arctic, polar, below zero, biting; see also wintry.

    Antonyms warm, hot*, heated. *

  2. Said of people, animals, or things

    freezing, frozen, clammy, stiff, chilled, frostbitten, shivering, chilly, cool, coldblooded, hypothermic, ice-cold, refrigerated, in cold storage, blue from cold*, chilled to the bone*.

    Antonyms hot*, perspiring, thawed.

  3. Said of temperament

    unresponsive, distant, unconcerned; see aloof, indifferent 1, unfriendly 2.


cold

n.

  1. Absence of warmth

    coldness, frozenness, chilliness, frostiness, frost, nip, bitterness, rawness, crispness, briskness, draft, frostbite, chill, shivers, coolness, shivering, goose flesh, numbness, iciness, frigidity, freeze, glaciation, refrigeration, gelidity, congelation; see also weather.

    Antonyms warmth, heat*, heat wave. *

  2. The outdoors of a cold season

    frost, wintertime, snow; see winter.

  3. An aural or respiratory congestion

    head cold, common cold, flu, catarrh, rheum, cough, hack, sore throat, sinus trouble, cold on one's chest, bronchitis, ague, laryngitis, hay fever, grippe, influenza, rose fever, rose cold, asthma, whooping cough, pertussis, streptococcic throat, staphylococcic infection, virus, sinusitis, coryza, strep throat*, strep*, sniffles*, bug*, frog in one's throat*; see also disease.

catch cold

come down with a cold, become ill, take cold; see sicken 1.

have<strong> or </strong>get cold feet*

lose one's nerve, back down, have qualms, chicken out*; see fear 1, retreat 1.

(out) in the cold*

forgotten, ignored, rejected; see neglected.

throw cold water on*

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

cold Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • brave: We had to brave the cold to see this but it was well worth it.

Adjective modifier

  • icy: Dipping her toe in the icy cold, Mary feels her home is near.

Modifies a noun

  • weather: In cold weather, cold air blows under the kitchen door.

Used with adjective complement

  • feel: My hands didn't feel cold any more, which was a relief.

Noun used with modifier

  • freezing: Some of the stuff we did in the workhouse at about 10 at night was freezing cold, too.

Preposition: in

  • winter: We have a lot of mountains, a lot of snow, it's very very cold in winter.
cold usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

cold quotes

It was no summer progress. A cold coming they had of it, at this time of the year; just, the worst time of the year, to take a journey, and specially a long journey, in. The ways deep, the weather sharp, the days short, the sun farthest off in solstitio brumali, the very dead of winter. See Eliot 306:73.

-Andrewes, Lancelot

   Back and side go bare, go bare, Both foot and hand go cold; But, belly,God send thee good ale enough, Whether it be new or old.

-Anonymous

Give them the cold steel, boys!

-Armistead, Lewis Addison

cold quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"cold." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/cold>

APA Style

cold. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/cold

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment