Meaning & Definition
noun
A commonly experienced illness characterized by a runny nose, sneezing, and cough.
I caught a cold and had to stay home from work.
A low temperature or lack of heat.
The cold in the early morning made everyone reluctant to leave their warm beds.
verb
To cool something down.
You should cold the drinks before the party starts.
adjective
Having a low temperature, especially when compared to the temperature of the human body.
The water was too cold for swimming.
Characterized by a lack of warmth or emotion.
Her cold response surprised everyone in the room.
Unharmed or unaffected by heat.
The cold metal felt strange against her skin.
Etymology
Old English 'cald', from Proto-Germanic *kalda.
Common Phrases and Expressions
cold shoulder:
To deliberately ignore someone.
cold as ice:
Extremely unemotional or unsympathetic.
cold feet:
Nervousness or hesitation about a planned event.
Slang Meanings
Cool or impressive.
That trick you did on the skateboard was cold!
Unfeeling or unfriendly.
Don't be so cold when you talk to people.
Uninformed about something.
She was cold about the new gossip going around.