cold
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cold (kōld)
adjective
- of a temperature significantly or noticeably lower than average, normal, expected, or comfortable; very chilly; frigid a cold wind
- without the proper heat or warmth this soup is cold
- without the proper heat, warmth, or warm-up period: said of tires, engines, etc.
- dead
- feeling chilled
- without warmth of feeling; unfeeling; indifferent a cold personality
- not cordial or kind; unfriendly a cold reception
- sexually frigid
- depressing or saddening; gloomy to realize the cold truth
- not involving one's feelings; detached; objective cold logic
- designating or having colors that suggest cold, as tones of blue, green, or gray
- still far from what is being sought: said of the seeker
- not strong or fresh; faint or stale a cold scent
- ☆ Informal unconscious the boxer was knocked cold
- Informal unlucky or ineffective a cold streak in baseball
Etymology: ME < OE (Anglian) cald < IE base *gel-, cold > cool, Ger kalt, L gelidus
adverb
- ☆ absolutely; completely she was stopped cold
- ☆ with complete mastery the actor had the lines down cold
- with little or no preparation to enter a game cold
noun
- absence of heat; lack of warmth: often thought of as an active force
- a low temperature; esp., one below freezing
- the sensation produced by a loss or absence of heat
- cold weather
- 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.
cold comfort
come in from the cold
leave someone cold
have (or get) cold feet
in the cold
throw cold water on
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
modif.
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.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. Said of temperament
unresponsive, distant, unconcerned; see aloof, indifferent 1, unfriendly 2.
cold
n.
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. * The outdoors of a cold season
frost, wintertime, snow; see winter.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
have<strong> or </strong>get cold feet*
(out) in the cold*
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Give them the cold steel, boys!
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.
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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

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