Middle English Dictionary Entry

cōld adj.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Forms cōld adj. Also cald & cheald, cheld, chald, schald. Comp. calder.
Etymology A cald & WS ceald.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
Low in temperature: (a) cold, chilly (weather, season, climate); (b) cold or cool (dwelling); chilly (grave); (c) cold to the touch; ~ as is, ~ as a ston; (d) of food and drink: cold, cooled off; (e) of clayey soil: cold and wet.
Show 50 Quotations
2.
Suffering from exposure to cold or from chills; ben ~, feel cold or chilly; maken ~, cool (oneself) off; ~ swete (swot), cold sweat; ~ grillinge, chills.
Show 8 Quotations
3.
(a) Lacking the warmth of a living being, lifeless, frigid; ~ deth; ~ as ashes; brennen to ashes (coles) ~; (b) cold-ded, stone-dead.
Show 26 Quotations
4.
Of persons, the heart: lacking warmth of feeling, devotion, desire, etc.; cold of love, apathetic, indifferent; ~ of kinde, phlegmatic by nature; kinde-cold, lacking passion; fallen ~, waxen ~, become disconsolate or distressed.
Show 19 Quotations
5.
(a) Of enjoyment, love, devotion, zeal: cooled off, slackened, diminished, destroyed; (b) of grief, anguish: chilling, distressing, dismal, dire; care(s ~, distress, anguish; (c) of sobbing: disconsolate, anguished; sikes ~.
Show 27 Quotations
6.
Phrases: (a) cold counseil, ~ cunning, ~ red, bad or unfortunate advice; ~ wird, dire fate; (b) fon (taken) of the colde water, to present (a baby) at the font, stand godfather.
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7.
Phys., physiol., etc. Dominated by 'cold' quality, ['Cold' is one of four primary qualities attributed to all matter and to all organisms. 'Cold' dominates, or is dominated by, 'hot' quality, its opposite. As a dominant active quality it is said to occur along with dominant 'dry' or 'moist' (passive) quality. All things are classified with reference to dominant qualities.] Dominant 'cold' quality is attributed: (a) to the 'elements' earth and water; (b) to the seasons of autumn and winter; (c) to certain planets and signs of the zodiac as influencing living things; (d) to the 'complexion' or 'temperament' of man and beast (not always distinguishable from sense 4.); (e) to the 'humors' phlegm and black bile; (f) to certain parts of the body; (g) to certain diseases or their symptoms; (h) to certain herbs and medicaments as producing 'cold' quality in the organism.
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8.
A common element in place names. For examples, see Smith PNElem. 1.77.
Show 1 Quotation

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)3b/a : Algema: golde ache.
    • Note: New combination: ~ ache, ?a pain caused by an excess of a cold humor; ?a pain which radiates a cold sensation.
    Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(a).
  • a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)3b/a : Algidus: gold.
    • Note: New form: gold.
    Note: Since glossaries have no context, this quot. is perhaps best placed in sense 1.(a).
  • c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)3787 : Alisaunder..perceþ his breny, cleueþ his sheld; Þe herte tokerueþ þe yrne cheld.
    • Note: Additional quot. for sense 1.(c).
  • c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)60 : Wise men..founden..Twelue shedyges in þe ȝere..Þe first was ycleped Mars..Names of planetes so beþ yhote; Summe beeþ chelde [LinI: cold], summe beeþ hote. By hem men han þe seysyne.
    Note: Quot. antedates sense 7.(c).
  • ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)119/3 : Agnus castus..sothen with fenkel seed and a lytel esyle..is good to dystroye þe colde dropesye.
  • ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)194/10 : Ȝef a man hawe a cold gowte, tak þe jous of þis herbe [leek] and medle it with wymmannys mylk and ȝewe it hym to drynke and he schal amende.
  • ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)196/18 : Þe vertu of þis herbe [lily] is ȝef þu stamp it with talwȝ and frye it with olye, and leye it as a playster to þe place quere is a cold gowte or a posteme, it schal rype hym and breke hym.
    • Note: New combinations for sense 7.(g): "~ dropesie (goute), a dropsy (gout) caused by an excess of cold humors."
  • c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)725 : De cheuere est freide pelice: Of goth is colde pilche.
    • Note: New sense.
    Note: Gloss: "Of a fur or hide garment: unable to contain body heat (i.e. an ineffective insulator)."
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--all notes per MLL

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