cold wave
noun
1
: an unusually large and rapid drop in temperature over a short period of time (such as 24 hours)
2
: a permanent wave set by a chemical preparation without the use of heat
Examples of cold wave in a Sentence
the unseasonable cold wave in the Northeast has already put a strain on oil supplies
Recent Examples on the Web
Having a mission to get past an area that would soon be getting pounded by rough, cold waves kept the kids focused and attentive.
—
Seth Liss, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023
Elias-Porter often styles perms using a cold wave with a thio-free alkaline acidic solution.
—Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 29 July 2023
Minnesotans will pay up to $400 more for their February heating bills because of the spike in U.S. gas prices after a historic cold wave hit the South.
—Mike Hughlett, Star Tribune, 23 Feb. 2021
In February 2021, 3.5 million Texans lost power amid a record cold wave, in which temperatures in some areas dipped to freezing.
—Julian Mark, Washington Post, 15 July 2022
Is that an cost-effective, with winter preparations for turbines running 5% to 10% of their cost? Glenn Hegar, state comptroller of public accounts, authored as a state senator a bill that became law a decade ago after rolling outages during Texas’ 2011 cold wave.
—University Of Houston Energy Fellows, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2021
So which cold wave was more extreme?
—Jeff Berardelli, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2021
Yeh Sang-wook, a climate professor at Hanyang University in Seoul, attributed the extreme cold wave on the Korean Peninsula to arctic winds from Siberia, adding that more snow in South Korea this year was due to the melting of Arctic ice caps from a warming climate.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 25 Jan. 2023
The Texas cold wave also reinforced OUC’s stress on the need for advanced batteries to store lots of electricity produced by solar panels.
—Kevin Spear, orlandosentinel.com, 6 May 2021
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Seth Liss, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023
Elias-Porter often styles perms using a cold wave with a thio-free alkaline acidic solution.
—Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 29 July 2023
Minnesotans will pay up to $400 more for their February heating bills because of the spike in U.S. gas prices after a historic cold wave hit the South.
—Mike Hughlett, Star Tribune, 23 Feb. 2021
In February 2021, 3.5 million Texans lost power amid a record cold wave, in which temperatures in some areas dipped to freezing.
—Julian Mark, Washington Post, 15 July 2022
Is that an cost-effective, with winter preparations for turbines running 5% to 10% of their cost? Glenn Hegar, state comptroller of public accounts, authored as a state senator a bill that became law a decade ago after rolling outages during Texas’ 2011 cold wave.
—University Of Houston Energy Fellows, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2021
So which cold wave was more extreme?
—Jeff Berardelli, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2021
Yeh Sang-wook, a climate professor at Hanyang University in Seoul, attributed the extreme cold wave on the Korean Peninsula to arctic winds from Siberia, adding that more snow in South Korea this year was due to the melting of Arctic ice caps from a warming climate.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 25 Jan. 2023
The Texas cold wave also reinforced OUC’s stress on the need for advanced batteries to store lots of electricity produced by solar panels.
—Kevin Spear, orlandosentinel.com, 6 May 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cold wave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near cold wave
Cite this Entry
“Cold wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20wave. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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