Definition of cold
1a : having or being a temperature that is uncomfortably low for humans it is cold outside today a cold drafty atticb : having a relatively low temperature or one lower than normal or expected the bath water has gotten coldc : not heated: such as (1) of food : served without heating especially after initial cooking or processing cold cereal cold roast beef (2) : served chilled or with ice a cold drink (3) : involving processing without the use of heat cold working of steel
2a : marked by a lack of the warmth of normal human emotion, friendliness, or compassion a cold stare got a cold reception; also : not moved to enthusiasm the movie leaves me coldb : not colored or affected by personal feeling or bias : detached, indifferent cold chronicles recorded by an outsider — Andrew Sarris; also : impersonal, objective cold facts cold realityc : marked by sure familiarity : pat had her lines cold weeks before opening night
3 : conveying the impression of being cold: such asa : depressing, gloomy cold gray skiesb : cool 6a
4a : marked by the loss of normal body heat cold hands; especially : dead … she lay cold and still—she was gone … — Upton Sinclairb : giving the appearance of being dead : unconscious passed out cold
5a : having lost freshness or vividness : stale dogs trying to pick up a cold scentb : far off the mark : not close to finding or solving —used especially in children's gamesc : marked by poor or unlucky performance the team's shooting turned cold in the second halfd : not prepared or suitably warmed up The player's sub entered the game cold.
in cold blood
: with premeditation : deliberately was killed in cold blood
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Examples of cold in a Sentence
The water was too cold for swimming.
The weather has been unusually cold this spring.
a country with a cold climate
It was a long, cold winter.
It's cold outside, but the wind makes it feel even colder.
It's bitterly cold out there!
metal that is cold to the touch
Are you cold? I could turn up the temperature if you'd like.
a bowl of cold cereal
He ate cold pizza for breakfast.
Recent Examples of cold from the Web
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When Hungarians rose in 1956, the Eisenhower administration cold-bloodedly turned its back on them.
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After a day-and-a-half of blister-inducing heat, some higher power (probably a cold front) dropped the temperature by a good 15 degrees.
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Additionally, a search through the #alfredangelo tag on Twitter brings up some brides who are willing to donate their own dresses for those left in the cold because of the sudden store closures.
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A jogger found her body on a cold afternoon in November, along a bicycle trail that slices through the woods near Suitland Parkway and Barry Farm in Southeast Washington.
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At the end of the first century A.D., Roman soldiers stationed at Vindolanda, a Fort along Hadrian’s wall in the United Kingdom, jotted notes on wafer-thin pieces of wood—requests for beer, descriptions of cold feet, birthday invites and more.
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Dale Barrientos and his fiancée, Silva Mesrobian, sold cold drinks and chips out of foam coolers under a shady tree near the paddleboat dock.
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Believe me, 15 minutes spent pounding cold steel can convince anybody of the need for a forge.
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The most enticing offer came in 2012 with a cold call from Danny Bowien, the founder of Mission Chinese.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cold.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of cold
Middle English, from Old English ceald, cald; akin to Old High German kalt cold, Latin gelu frost, gelare to freeze
cold
Definition of cold
1 : bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat they died of the cold
2 : a condition of low temperature extremes of heat and cold; especially : cold weather He waited outside for her in the bitter cold.
3 : a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling; specifically : common cold She came down with a cold.
out in the cold
: deprived of benefits given others the plan benefits management but leaves labor out in the cold
Examples of cold in a Sentence
I mind cold more than heat.
They died of exposure to cold.
The cold really sets in around late November and doesn't let up until April.
I stood there shivering in the cold.
He waited outside for her in the bitter cold.
Come in out of the cold.
It's not the flu, it's just a cold.
Recent Examples of cold from the Web
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Meanwhile, states in the north and northwest could see their fortunes mildly boosted by warming, with farming yields rising thanks to shorter winters and less need to ward off harsh cold in homes.
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But the episode after Election Day featured an entirely serious cold open, with Kate McKinnon's Clinton playing 'Hallelujah' at the piano with tears in her eyes.
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Though the highest winds were reported in the west desert and Great Salt Lake, 30-mph gusts were also reported in the Salt Lake City area as an unusual cold front moves through, according to the National Weather Service.
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For the second year in a row, the festival got off to a slow start — the rain and cold of May 19 kept five of this year's 10 vendors away — but sumptuous weather on June 2 might have helped bring out customers.
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Ross rolled down his window and offered her a blanket, naturally assuming the cold was her biggest problem that night.
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Bendixen had been suffering from a bad cold in recent days, according to his friend and business partner, Fernand Amandi.
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This reflected the achievement of one of Putin’s main goals in intervening in the Syrian conflict under the banner of counterterrorism: to force the West to grudgingly let him in from the cold in the common interest of fighting terrorism.
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Maybe this cold, wet spring has something to do with the enhanced flavor of this year's spears.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cold.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of cold
see 1cold
cold
Definition of cold
1 : with utter finality : absolutely, completely turned down cold; also : abruptly stopped them cold
2a : without introduction or advance notice walked in cold to apply for a jobb : without preparation or warm-up was asked to perform the solo cold
Examples of cold in a Sentence
She was asked to perform the song cold.
First Known Use of cold
1889
COLD Defined for English Language Learners
cold
playDefinition of cold for English Language Learners
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: having a very low temperature
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: having a feeling of low body heat
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of food : not heated
cold
Definition of cold for English Language Learners
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: a cold condition
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the cold : cold weather
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: a common illness that affects the nose, throat, and eyes and that usually causes coughing, sneezing, etc.
cold
Definition of cold for English Language Learners
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: in a very clear, complete, and definite way
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: in a sudden way
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: without practicing or preparing before doing something
COLD Defined for Kids
Definition of cold for Students
colder
;coldest
1 : having a low temperature or one much below normal a cold day
2 : suffering from lack of warmth I feel cold.
3 : cooled after being cooked We ate cold chicken.
4 : served at a low temperature or with ice Have a cold drink.
5 : lacking warmth of feeling : unfriendly She's been cold to me ever since our disagreement.
coldly
adverbcoldness
nounin cold blood
: with planning beforehand
Definition of cold for Students
1 : a condition of low temperature : cold weather I can't stand the cold.
2 : the bodily feeling produced by lack of warmth : chill He was shivering with cold.
3 : common cold
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of cold
1a: having or being a temperature that is noticeably lower than body temperature and especially that is uncomfortable for humans a cold drafty roomb: having a relatively low temperature or one that is lower than normal or expected the bath water has gotten coldc: receptive to the sensation of coldness : stimulated by cold a cold spot is a typical receptor in higher vertebrates
2: marked by the loss of normal body heat cold hands
3: dead
4: exhibiting little or no radioactivity
cold
Medical Definition of cold
1: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat
2: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling:ain humans : common coldbin domestic animals : coryza
Learn More about cold
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See words that rhyme with cold Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cold Spanish Central: Translation of cold Nglish: Translation of cold for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cold for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cold
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