Wiktionary

cold-blooded

See also: coldblooded

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From cold blood +‎ -ed.[1]

Pronunciation

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  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈkoʊldˈblʌd.ɪd/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Adjective

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cold-blooded (comparative more cold-blooded or colder-blooded, superlative most cold-blooded or coldest-blooded)

  1. Having an unregulated body temperature; ectothermic.
    • 2010, Graham Brown, chapter 35, in Black Rain: A Thriller, New York, N.Y.: Dell, →ISBN, page 344:
      “Dead animals radiate heat,” he said. “When you take one down, you can feel it pouring from the wounds. But not this thing.” / “What does that mean?” she asked. / “Cold-blooded maybe, or colder-blooded than we’re used to.” / “Might explain why the heat sensors have trouble picking them up,” Danielle said.
  2. (figuratively) Lacking emotion or compunction.
    • 1797, [Isaac D’Israeli], “A Philosophical Party. The Character of a great Philosopher.”, in Vaurien: or, Sketches of the Times: Exhibiting Views of the Philosophies, Religions, Politics, Literature, and Manners of the Age. […], volume I, London: […] T[homas] Cadell, junior, and W[illiam] Davies, […]; and J[ohn] Murray and S[amuel] Highley, […], page 50:
      Here were aſſembled that great philoſopher Mr. Subtile, the coldeſt-blooded metaphyſician of the age.
    • 1845, “[Preliminary Remarks.] Inns.—The Fonda—Posada—Venta.”, in A Hand-Book for Travellers in Spain, and Readers at Home. Describing the Country and Cities, the Natives and Their Manners; […], part I, London: John Murray, […], page 23:
      No Spaniard is ever put out, although he maddens in a moment at the slightest personal affront, for blood boils without fire, “la sangre hierve sin fuego.” He takes these things coolly, which more phlegmatic, colder-blooded foreigners seldom do.
    • 1851 June–July (date written), Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Miraculous Pitcher”, in A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, published November 1851 (indicated as 1852), →OCLC, page 203:
      “And as for those foolish people,” said Quicksilver, with his mischievous smile, “they are all transformed to fishes. There needed but little change, for they were already a scaly set of rascals, and the coldest-blooded beings in existence. […]”
    • 1872, Z[achariah] N[ehemiah] Morrell, “War.—1836.”, in Flowers and Fruits from the Wilderness; or, Thirty-Six Years in Texas and Two Winters in Honduras, Boston, Mass.: Gould and Lincoln, […]; Bryan, Tex.: Sunday-School and Colportage Board; New York, N.Y.: Sheldon and Company, page 50:
      […] well remembering the order he had given to generals in command of the different divisions of his army, to shoot all the prisoners that fell into their hands, which had resulted in the coldest-blooded murder of the brave Fannin, and three hundred and thirty men at Goliad, on Sunday, March 27th, who were promised, if they would surrender, to be treated kindly as prisoners of war, and to be sent in vessels at once to the United States.
    • 1891, George MacDonald, “Barbara and Her Critics”, in There and Back, Philadelphia, Pa.: David McKay, […], page 180:
      Sir Wilton regarded Lady Ann as the coldest-blooded and most selfish woman in creation, and certainly she was not less selfish and was colder-blooded than he.
    • 2017 July 16, Brandon Nowalk, “Chickens and dragons come home to roost on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club‎[1]:
      That’s what it looks like Arya’s planning to do at the campfire. For much of the scene, she’s weighing her options. She could take those guys. She could get to them before they got their swords, and she could swipe their gold and their meal. It would be something like what the Hound did to those peasants. At the time Arya was upset at him for it. But now Arya’s a cold-blooded killer.
  3. Of a type of horse: tall and muscular, usually good-natured and suitable for heavy work.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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having an unregulated body temperature — see ectothermic

References

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  1. ^ “cold-blooded, adj.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
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