cold
/koʊld/
(colder, coldest, colds)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
Something that is cold has a very low temperature or a lower temperature than is normal or acceptable.
Rinse the vegetables under cold running water...
He likes his tea neither too hot nor too cold...
Your dinner’s getting cold.
≠ hot, warm
ADJ
• cold‧ness
She complained about the coldness of his hands.
≠ warmth
N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp
2.
If it is cold, or if a place is cold, the temperature of the air is very low.
It was bitterly cold...
The house is cold because I can’t afford to turn the heat on...
This is the coldest winter I can remember.
≠ hot, warm
ADJ: oft it v-link ADJ
• cold‧ness
Within quarter of an hour the coldness of the night had gone.
N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp
3.
Cold weather or low temperatures can be referred to as the cold.
He must have come inside to get out of the cold...
His feet were blue with cold.
≠ heat
N-UNCOUNT: also the N
4.
If you are cold, your body is at an unpleasantly low temperature.
I was freezing cold...
I’m hungry, I’m cold and I’ve nowhere to sleep.
ADJ: usu v-link ADJ
5.
Cold food, such as salad or meat that has been cooked and cooled, is not intended to be eaten hot.
A wide variety of hot and cold snacks will be available.
...cold meats.
≠ hot
ADJ: usu ADJ n
6.
Cold colours or cold light give an impression of coldness.
Generally, warm colours advance in painting and cold colours recede.
...the cold blue light from a streetlamp.
≠ warm
ADJ
7.
A cold person does not show much emotion, especially affection, and therefore seems unfriendly and unsympathetic. If someone’s voice is cold, they speak in an unfriendly unsympathetic way.
What a cold, unfeeling woman she was...
‘Send her away,’ Eve said in a cold, hard voice.
≠ warm
ADJ [disapproval]
• cold‧ly
‘I’ll see you in the morning,’ Hugh said coldly.
ADV
• cold‧ness
His coldness angered her.
N-UNCOUNT
8.
A cold trail or scent is one which is old and therefore difficult to follow.
He could follow a cold trail over hard ground and even over stones.
≠ fresh
ADJ
9.
If you have a cold, you have a mild, very common illness which makes you sneeze a lot and gives you a sore throat or a cough.
N-COUNT
10.
see also common cold
11.
If you catch cold, or catch a cold, you become ill with a cold.
Let’s dry our hair so we don’t catch cold.
PHRASE: V inflects
12.
If something leaves you cold, it fails to excite or interest you.
Lawrence is one of those writers who either excite you enormously or leave you cold.
PHRASE: V inflects
13.
If someone is out cold, they are unconscious or sleeping very heavily.
She was out cold but still breathing.
PHRASE: v-link PHR
14.
in cold blood: see blood
to get cold feet: see foot
to blow hot and cold: see hot
to pour cold water on something: see water
