Definition of "cold"

As cold waters to a thirstie soule: so is good newes from a farre countrey.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Proverbs 25:25

Oh cold, cold, rigid, dreadful Death, set up thine altar here, and dress it with such terrors as thou hast at thy command: for this is thy dominion!

1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Four. The Last of the Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], page 137

I had always supposed that playboys didn't give a hoot for anything except blondes and cold bottles.

1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter V, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins

At the end of a week, she could bear the suspense no longer, and so went humbly to her old home and sought forgiveness. She was not repulsed, but her reception was cold; and this hurt her almost as badly.

1850, T. S. Arthur, “Happy on a Little”, in Sketches of Life and Character‎, Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, page 89

"Suppose someone pops in?" "Don't be silly. Mrs Cream is working on her book. Phyllis is in her room, typing Upjohn's speech. Wilbert's gone for a walk. Upjohn isn't here. The only character who could pop in would be the Brinkley Court ghost. If it does, give it a cold look and walk through it. That'll teach it not to come butting in where it isn't wanted, ha ha."

1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter VII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins

River Song: (upon seeing the still-living Doctor, moments after he made her and two other friends watch what they thought was his death) This is cold. Even by your standards, this is cold.

2011 April 23, The Impossible Astronaut (Doctor Who), season series 6, episode 1

"At the risk of sounding cold though, I'm glad he's gone. His abandonment left me in Aunt Fara's custody, and that's honestly the best thing he's ever done for me."

2015, Jocelyn Samara D., Rain, volume 3, page 237

The one thing considered the brass ring in selling insurance was making a sale on a cold canvass. Cold canvassing was the most dreaded exercise for most insurance salesmen.

2019, Kelly D. Harrison, Air Force Cop: An Autobiography, page 100

"Either Upjohn agrees to drop that libel suit or he doesn't get these notes, as he calls them, and without them he won't be able to utter a word. He'll have to come across with the price of the papers. Won't he, Jeeves?""He would appear to have no alternative, miss.""Unless he wants to get up on that platform and stand there opening and shutting his mouth like a goldfish. We've got him cold."

1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XIX, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins

There were more than a few unforgettable moments from Sunday's Game 7 showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings. Steph Curry came up with an epic performance on a record-setting evening, and he also produced one of the coldest photos of the NBA Playoffs thus far.

2023 May 1, Paolo Songco, “Warriors star Steph Curry's cold 'night night' pic vs. Kings goes completely viral”, in ClutchPoints‎, archived from the original on 2023-05-30

Lowkey she so cold for that

2023 August 3, @67x4L, Twitter‎, archived from the original on 9 November 2023

Indians see this fit and think it's the coldest thing ever

2023 August 6, @SUPERTHYROID, Twitter‎, archived from the original on 8 November 2023

cold plants

1631, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […]

What a deal of cold business doth a man misspend the better part of life in!

1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter‎

The jest grows cold […] when it comes on in a second scene.

1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […]

Smell this business with a sense as cold / As is a dead man's nose.

c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene i]

"That's right," Jackson said. "The Old Man will be pleased to welcome you." There was eagerness in his reedy voice. "What do you say? We'll take care of you. Feed you, bring you cold plants and animals. For a week maybe?"

1953, Philip K. Dick, “Planet for Transients”, in Fantastic Universe magazine‎, number Oct-Nov 1953, page 64

Therefore, to avoid unnecessary delay in the trouble-shooting procedure, it is good practice to make a resistance check on a "cold" circuit (before applying power), to determine whether resistance values are normal.

1956, Philco Corporation, Handbook of Test Methods and Practices, page 3–3

Who the fuck is this, pagin' me at 5:46 in the morning? / crack of dawn and now I'm yawnin' / wipe the cold out my eye, see who's this pagin' me and why

1994, Notorious B.I.G., Warning‎

But I remember this, moms would lick her finger tips / to wipe the cold out my eye before school with her spit

1996, Ghostface Killah, All That I Got Is You‎

Two weeks after it closed, he started rehearsals for Cheer Up, a new play by Mary Roberts Rinehart booked into the Harris Theatre. It was to open cold without any out-of-town tryout under the direction of a young Cecil B. DeMille […]

2008, Geddeth Smith, Walter Hampden: Dean of the American Theatre, page 104

Now Little Bo Peep cold lost her sheep / And Rip van Winkle fell the hell asleep

1986, Run-DMC, Peter Piper.