cold case

noun

: an unsolved criminal investigation (as of a homicide or abduction) that has stopped being actively pursued because of a lack of evidence
The case is pursued diligently by various detectives, but eventually abandoned and filed away among other cold cases.Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2014

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold case was in 1973

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Cite this Entry

“Cold case.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20case. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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