— coldish , adj. — coldly , adv. — coldness , n.
/kohld/ , adj., colder, coldest , n., adv. adj.
1. having a relatively low temperature; having little or no warmth: cold water; a cold day.
2. feeling an uncomfortable lack of warmth; chilled: The skaters were cold.
3. having a temperature lower than the normal temperature of the human body: cold hands.
4. lacking in passion, emotion, enthusiasm, ardor, etc.; dispassionate: cold reason.
5. not affectionate, cordial, or friendly; unresponsive: a cold reply; a cold reception.
6. lacking sensual desire: She remained cold to his advances.
7. failing to excite feeling or interest: the cold precision of his prose.
8. unexcitable; imperturbable: cold impassivity.
9. depressing; dispiriting: the cold atmosphere of a hospital waiting room.
10. unconscious because of a severe blow, shock, etc.: I knocked him cold with an uppercut.
11. lacking the warmth of life; lifeless: When the doctor arrived, the body was already cold.
12. faint; weak: The dogs lost the cold scent.
13. (in games) distant from the object of search or the correct answer.
14. Slang. (in sports and games) not scoring or winning; ineffective: Cold shooting and poor rebounding were their undoing.
15. Art.
a. having cool colors, esp. muted tones tending toward grayish blue.
b. being a cool color.
16. slow to absorb heat, as a soil containing a large amount of clay and hence retentive of moisture.
17. Metalworking. noting or pertaining to any process involving plastic deformation of a metal at a temperature below that at which recrystallization can occur because of the strain: cold working.
18. go cold , Slang. (in sports and games) to become unproductive or ineffective; be unable to score.
19. in cold blood . See blood (def. 18).
20. throw cold water on , to disparage; disapprove of; dampen the enthusiasm of: They threw cold water on her hopes to take acting classes.
n.
21. the relative absence of heat: Everyone suffered from the intense cold.
22. the sensation produced by loss of heat from the body, as by contact with anything having a lower temperature than that of the body: He felt the cold of the steel door against his cheek.
23. cold weather: He can't take the cold.
24. Also called common cold . a respiratory disorder characterized by sneezing, sore throat, coughing, etc., caused by an allergic reaction or by a viral, bacterial, or mixed infection.
25. catch or take cold , to get or suffer from a cold: We all caught cold during that dreadful winter.
26. in from the cold , out of a position or condition of exile, concealment, isolation, or alienation: Since the new government promised amnesty, fugitive rebels are coming in from the cold.
27. left out in the cold , neglected; ignored; forgotten: After the baby came, the young husband felt left out in the cold. Also, out in the cold .
adv.
28. with complete competence, thoroughness, or certainty; absolutely: He learned his speech cold.
29. without preparation or prior notice: She had to play the lead role cold.
30. in an abrupt, unceremonious manner: He quit the job cold.
31. Metalworking. at a temperature below that at which recrystallization can occur (sometimes used in combination): to cold-hammer an iron bar; The wire was drawn cold.
[ bef. 950; ME; OE cald, ceald; c. Goth kalds, ON kaldr, G kalt, D koud; akin to L gel- in gelidus GELID ]
Syn. 1. frigid, gelid, frozen, freezing. COLD, CHILL, CHILLY, COOL refer to various degrees of absence of heat. COLD refers to temperature possibly so low as to cause suffering: cold water. CHILL suggests a penetrating cold which causes shivering and numbness: There was a chill wind blowing. CHILLY is a weaker word, though it also connotes shivering and discomfort: a chilly room. COOL means merely somewhat cold, not warm: cool and comfortable. All have figurative uses. 4. indifferent, uninvolved, cool, unconcerned, imperturbable. 5. apathetic, unsympathetic, unfeeling, heartless, polite, formal, reserved, unfriendly, inimical, hostile. 7. uninspiring, dull. 8. calm, deliberate.
Ant. 1. hot. 4. warm, emotional. 13. warm.