kəuld adj., n., & adv. --adj. 1 of or at a low or relatively low
temperature,
esp.
when compared
with the human body. 2
not heated; cooled
after being heated. 3 (of a person)
feeling cold. 4
lacking ardour, friendliness, or
affection;
undemonstrative,
apathetic. 5 depressing, dispiriting,
uninteresting (cold facts). 6 a
dead. b colloq.
unconscious. 7 colloq. at one's
mercy (had me cold). 8 sexually
frigid. 9 (of soil)
slow to
absorb heat. 10 (of a
scent in hunting) having
become weak. 11 (in children's games)
far from finding or guessing
what is
sought. 12
without preparation or
rehearsal. --n. 1 a the prevalence of a low temperature, esp. in the
atmosphere. b cold
weather; a cold
environment (went
out into the cold). 2 an
infection in
which the
mucous membrane of the
nose and throat becomes inflamed, causing
running at the nose, sneezing,
sore throat, etc. --adv. esp. US completely,
entirely (was stopped cold mid-sentence). øcatch a cold 1 become infected with a cold. 2
encounter trouble or difficulties. cold
call sell goods or services by
making unsolicited calls on
prospective customers by
telephone or in
person. cold
cathode a cathode
that emits electrons without being heated. cold
chisel a chisel
suitable for cutting metal. cold
comfort poor or
inadequate consolation. cold
cream ointment for cleansing and softening the
skin. cold cuts slices of cold cooked meats. cold
feet colloq.
loss of
nerve or
confidence. cold
frame an
unheated frame with a
glass top for growing
small plants. cold
front the
forward edge of an advancing mass of cold
air. cold
fusion nuclear fusion at
room temperature esp. as a
possible energy source. cold
shoulder a
show of
intentional unfriendliness. cold-shoulder v.tr. be deliberately
unfriendly to. cold sore
inflammation and blisters in and
around the
mouth, caused by a
virus infection. cold
storage 1 storage in a
refrigerator or
other cold
place for
preservation. 2 a
state in which
something (esp. an idea) is put
aside temporarily. cold
sweat a state of sweating induced by
fear or
illness. cold
table a
selection of dishes of cold
food. cold
turkey US sl. 1 a
series of
blunt statements or
behaviour. 2
abrupt withdrawal from
addictive drugs; the symptoms of
this. cold
war a state of
hostility between nations without
actual fighting. cold
wave 1 a
temporary spell of cold weather
over a
wide area. 2 a kind of
permanent wave for the
hair using chemicals and without heat. in cold
blood without feeling or
passion; deliberately, ruthlessly. out in the cold ignored, neglected.
throw (or pour) cold
water on be discouraging or depreciatory
about. øøcoldish adj. coldly adv. coldness n. [OE cald f. Gmc, rel. to L gelu frost]
