cold
EnglishEdit
PronunciationEdit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /kəʊld/, /kɔʊld/
Audio (RP) (file) - (General American) enPR: kōld, IPA(key): /koʊld/
Audio (GA) (file) Audio (file) - Homophone: coaled
- Rhymes: -əʊld
Etymology 1Edit
From Middle English cold, from Old English, specifically Anglian cald. The West Saxon form, ċeald (“cold”), survived as early Middle English cheald, cheld, or chald.[1] Both descended from Proto-Germanic *kaldaz, a participle form of *kalaną (“to be cold”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“cold”). Cognate with Scots cald, cauld (“cold”), Saterland Frisian koold (“cold”), West Frisian kâld (“cold”), Dutch koud (“cold”), Low German kold, koolt, koold (“cold”), German kalt (“cold”), Danish kold (“cold”), Norwegian kald (“cold”), Swedish kall (“cold”).
AdjectiveEdit
cold (comparative colder, superlative coldest)
- (of a thing) Having a low temperature.
- A cold wind whistled through the trees.
- 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Four. The Last of the Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], OCLC 55746801, page 137:
- Oh cold, cold, rigid, dreadful Death, set up thine altar here, and dress it with such terrors as thou hast at thy command: for this is thy dominion!
- 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter V, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, OCLC 1227855:
- I had always supposed that playboys didn't give a hoot for anything except blondes and cold bottles.
- (of the weather) Causing the air to be cold.
- The forecast is that it will be very cold today.
- (of a person or animal) Feeling the sensation of coldness, especially to the point of discomfort.
- She was so cold she was shivering.
- Unfriendly, emotionally distant or unfeeling.
- She shot me a cold glance before turning her back.
- 2011 April 23, Doctor Who, series 6, episode 1, The Impossible Astronaut:
- RIVER SONG (upon seeing the still-living DOCTOR, moments after he made her and two other friends watch what they thought was his death): This is cold. Even by your standards, this is cold.
- 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter VII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, OCLC 1227855:
- “Suppose someone pops in?” “Don't be silly. Mrs Cream is working on her book. Phyllis is in her room, typing Upjohn's speech. Wilbert's gone for a walk. Upjohn isn't here. The only character who could pop in would be the Brinkley Court ghost. If it does, give it a cold look and walk through it. That'll teach it not to come butting in where it isn't wanted, ha ha.”
- Dispassionate, not prejudiced or partisan, impartial.
- Let's look at this tomorrow with a cold head.
- He's a nice guy, but the cold facts say we should fire him.
- The cold truth is that states rarely undertake military action unless their national interests are at stake.
- Completely unprepared; without introduction.
- He was assigned cold calls for the first three months.
- Unconscious or deeply asleep; deprived of the metaphorical heat associated with life or consciousness.
- I knocked him out cold.
- After one more beer he passed out cold.
- (usually with "have" or "know" transitively) Perfectly, exactly, completely; by heart.
- Practice your music scales until you know them cold.
- Try both these maneuvers until you have them cold and can do them in the dark without thinking.
- Rehearse your lines until you have them down cold.
- Keep that list in front of you, or memorize it cold.
- (usually with "have" transitively) Cornered, done for.
- With that receipt, we have them cold for fraud.
- Criminal interrogation. Initially they will dream up explanations faster than you could ever do so, but when they become fatigued, often they will acknowledge that you have them cold.
- 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XIX, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, OCLC 1227855:
- “Either Upjohn agrees to drop that libel suit or he doesn't get these notes, as he calls them, and without them he won't be able to utter a word. He'll have to come across with the price of the papers. Won't he, Jeeves?” “He would appear to have no alternative, miss.” “Unless he wants to get up on that platform and stand there opening and shutting his mouth like a goldfish. We've got him cold.”
- (obsolete) Not pungent or acrid.
- 1631, [Francis Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] VVilliam Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], OCLC 1044372886:
- cold plants
- (obsolete) Unexciting; dull; uninteresting.
- 1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter
- What a deal of cold business doth a man misspend the better part of life in!
- 1705 (revised 1718), Joseph Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy
- The jest grows cold […] when it comes on in a second scene.
- 1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter
- Affecting the sense of smell (as of hunting dogs) only feebly; having lost its odour.
- a cold scent
- (obsolete) Not sensitive; not acute.
- c. 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, “The VVinters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene i]:
- Smell this business with a sense as cold / As is a dead man's nose.
- Distant; said, in the game of hunting for some object, of a seeker remote from the thing concealed. Compare warm and hot.
- You're cold … getting warmer … hot! You've found it!
- (painting) Having a bluish effect; not warm in colour.
- (databases) Rarely used or accessed, and thus able to be relegated to slower storage.
- (informal) Without compassion; heartless; ruthless
- I can't believe she said that...that was cold!
- (informal) Not radioactive. [from the 20thc.]
- 1953, Philip K. Dick, "That's right," Jackson said. "The Old Man will be pleased to welcome you." There was eagerness in his reedy voice. "What do you say? We'll take care of you. Feed you, bring you cold plants and animals. For a week maybe?"”, in Planet for Transients, a short story published in Fantastic Universe magazine: Oct-Nov 1953. Page 64
SynonymsEdit
- (of a thing, having a low temperature): chilled, chilly, freezing, frigid, glacial, icy, cool
- (of the weather): (UK, slang) brass monkeys, nippy, parky, taters
- (of a person or animal):
- (unfriendly): aloof, distant, hostile, standoffish, unfriendly, unwelcoming
- (unprepared): unprepared, unready
- See also Thesaurus:cold
AntonymsEdit
- (having a low temperature): baking, boiling, heated, hot, scorching, searing, torrid, warm
- (of the weather): hot (See the corresponding synonyms of hot.)
- (of a person or animal): hot (See the corresponding synonyms of hot.)
- (unfriendly): amiable, friendly, welcoming
- (unprepared): prepared, primed, ready
- (not radioactive): hot, radioactive
Derived termsEdit
- as cold as charity
- blow hot and cold
- bring someone out in a cold sweat
- cold as a witch's tit
- Cold Ash
- cold as ice
- cold as the grave
- cold-blooded
- cold call
- cold case
- cold cash
- cold comfort
- cold cream
- cold cuts
- cold-drawn
- cold-eyed
- cold fish
- cold front
- cold hands, warm heart
- cold-hearted
- coldly
- coldness
- cold one
- cold-read
- cold reading
- cold snap
- cold spell
- Coldspring, Cold Spring
- cold start
- cold storage
- cold store
- cold sweat
- cold turkey
- cold war
- cold-weld
- come in from the cold
- freezing cold
- get cold feet
- give someone the cold shoulder
- in cold blood
- in the cold light of day
- leave someone cold
- leave someone out in the cold
- make someone's blood run cold
- stone-cold
- throw cold water on
TranslationsEdit
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Etymology 2Edit
From Middle English cold, colde, from Old English cald, ċeald (“cold, coldness”), from Proto-Germanic *kaldą (“coldness”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“cold”). Compare Saterland Frisian Keelde (“cold”), West Frisian kjeld (“cold”), Dutch koude (“cold”), German Low German Kolle, Koll (“cold”), German Kälte (“cold”), Danish kulde (“cold”), Swedish köld (“cold”), Norwegian kulde (“cold”), Icelandic kulda (“cold”).
NounEdit
cold (plural colds)
- A condition of low temperature.
- Come in, out of the cold.
- (with 'the', figuratively) A harsh place; a place of abandonment.
- The former politician was left out in the cold after his friends deserted him.
- (medicine) A common, usually harmless, viral illness, usually with congestion of the nasal passages and sometimes fever.
- I caught a miserable cold and had to stay home for a week
- (slang) rheum, sleepy dust
- 1994, Notorious B.I.G., Warning
- Who the fuck is this, pagin' me at 5:46 in the morning? / crack of dawn and now I'm yawnin' / wipe the cold out my eye, see who's this pagin' me and why
- 1996, Ghostface Killah, All That I Got Is You
- But I remember this, moms would lick her finger tips / to wipe the cold out my eye before school with her spit
- 1994, Notorious B.I.G., Warning
SynonymsEdit
- (low temperature): coldness
- (illness): common cold, coryza, head cold, pose
Derived termsEdit
Coordinate termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
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Etymology 3Edit
From Middle English colde, from Old English calde, ċealde (“coldly”), from the adjective (see above).
AdverbEdit
cold (comparative more cold, superlative most cold)
- While at low temperature.
- The steel was processed cold.
- Without preparation.
- The speaker went in cold and floundered for a topic.
- With finality.
- I knocked him out cold.
- (slang, informal, dated) In a cold, frank, or realistically honest manner.
- 1986, Run-DMC, Peter Piper.
- Now Little Bo Peep cold lost her sheep / And Rip van Winkle fell the hell asleep
- 1986, Run-DMC, Peter Piper.
ReferencesEdit
- ^ “cold”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
See alsoEdit
AnagramsEdit
Middle EnglishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Old English cald, an Anglian form of ċeald; from Proto-Germanic *kaldaz.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
cold (plural and weak singular colde, comparative colder, superlative *coldest)
- (temperature) cold, cool
- (weather) cold, cool
- (locations) having a tendency to be cold
- cold-feeling, cold when touched, cooled, chilly
- lifeless, having the pallor of death
- cold-hearted, indifferent, insensitive
- distressed, sorrowful, worried
- (alchemy, medicine) Considered to be alchemically cold
DescendantsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- “cōld, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
NounEdit
cold
- cold, coldness
- The feeling of coldness or chill
- Lack of feelings or emotion
- (alchemy, medicine) Alchemical coldness
DescendantsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- “cōld, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.