Emily Dickinson Lexicon

COL'CHI-CUM, n.

A medicinal plant.

COL-CO'THAR, n.

The brown red oxyd of iron which remains after the distillation of the acid from sulphate of iron; used for polishing glass and other substances. It is called by artists crocus, or crocus martis. – Encyc. Ure. The sulphate of iron is called colcothar or chalcite, when the calcination has been carried so far as to drive off a considerable part of the acid. – Fourcroy. [See Chalcite.]

COLD, a. [Sax. cald; G. kalt; D. koud, contracted; Goth. calds; Basque, galda; Sw. kall; Dan. kold; and the noun, kulde. The latter seems to be connected with kul, a coal, and kuler, to blow strong. But the connection may be casual. In Swedish, kyla signifies to cool, and to burn; thus connecting cool, cold, with the L. caleo, to be hot. Both cold and heat may be from rushing, raging, and this word may be from the same root as gale. If not, cool would seem to be allied to L. gelo.]

1. Not warm or hot; gelid; frigid; a relative term. A substance is cold to the touch when it is less warm than the body, and when in contact, the heat of the body passes from the body to the substance; as, cold air; a cold stone; cold water. It denotes a greater degree of the quality than cool. [See the noun.]
2. Having the sensation of cold; chill; shivering, or inclined to shiver; as, I am cold.
3. Having cold qualities; as, a cold plant. – Bacon.
4. Frigid; wanting passion, zeal or ardor; indifferent; unconcerned; not animated, or easily excited into action; as, a cold spectator; a cold Christian; a cold lover, or friend; a cold temper. – Hooker. Addison. Thou art neither cold nor hot. – Rev. iii.
5. Not moving; unaffecting; not animated; not able to excite feeling; spiritless; as, a cold discourse; a cold jest. – Addison.
6. Reserved; coy; not affectionate, cordial or friendly; indicating indifference; as, a cold look; a cold return of civilities; a cold reception. – Clarendon.
7. Not heated by sensual desire. – Shak.
8. Not hasty; not violent. – Johnson.
9. Not affecting the scent strongly. – Shak.
10. Not having the scent strongly affected. – Shak.

COLD, n. [Sax. cele, cyl, cyle; D. koelte, koude; G. kälte. See Cool.]

1. The sensation produced in animal bodies by the escape of heat, and the consequent contraction of the fine vessels. Also, the cause of that sensation. Heat expands the vessels, and cold contracts them; and the transition from an expanded to a contracted state is accompanied with a sensation to which, as well as to the cause of it, we give the denomination of cold. Hence cold is a privation of heat, or the cause of it. – Encyc. Bacon.
2. A shivering; the effect of the contraction of the fine vessels of the body; chilliness, or chillness. – Dryden.
3. A disease; indisposition occasioned by cold; catarrh.

COLD'-BLOOD-ED, a.

1. Having cold blood.
2. Without sensibility, or feeling.

COLD'ER, a. [comp.]

More cold.

COLD'EST, a. [superl.]

Most cold.

COLD'-FINCH, n.

A species of Motacilla, a bird frequenting the west of England, with the head and back of a brownish gray, the belly white, and the quill feathers and tail black. – Dict. of Nat. Hist.

COLD'-HEART-ED, a.

Wanting passion or feeling; indifferent.

COLD-HEART'ED-LY, adv.

In a cold-hearted manner.

COLD'-HEART-ED-NESS, n.

Want of feeling or insensitivity.

COLD'ISH, a.

Somewhat cold.

COLD'LY, adv.

In a cold manner; without warmth; without concern; without ardor or animation; without apparent passion, emotion or feeling; with indifference or negligence; as, to answer one coldly; a proposition is coldly received.

COLD'NESS, n.

1. Want of heat; as, the coldness of water or air. When the heat or temperature of any substance is less than that of the animal body exposed to it, that state or temperature is called coldness.
2. Unconcern; indifference; a frigid state of temper; want of ardor, zeal, emotion, animation, or spirit; negligence; as, to receive an answer with coldness; to listen with coldness.
3. Want of apparent affection, or kindness; as, to receive a friend with coldness.
4. Coyness; reserve; indifference; as, to receive addresses with coldness.
5. Want of sensual desire; frigidity; chastity. – Pope.

COLD'-SHORT, a.

Brittle when cold, as a metal.

COLE, n. [Sax. caul, cawl or cawel; L. caulis; Gr. καυλος; D. kool; G. kohl; Sw. kål; Dan. kaal; W. cawl; Ir. colis, coilis; It. cavolo; Sp. col; Port. couve; Arm. caulin, colen; Fr. chou.]

The general name of all sorts of cabbage or Brassica; but we generally use it in its compounds, cole-wort, cauliflower, &c.

COLE'-MOUSE, n.

See COAL-MOUSE.

COL'E-OP-TER, or COL-E-OP'TE-RA, n. [Gr. κολεος, a sheath, and πτερον, a wing.]

The Coleopters, in Linnæus's system of entomology, are an order of insects, having crustaceous elytra or shells, which shut and form a longitudinal suture along the back, as the beetle.

COL-E-OP'TE-RAL, a.

Having wings covered with a case or sheath, which shuts as above.

CO-LE-OP'TER-OUS, a.

Coleopteral.

COLE'-PERCH, n.

A small fish, less than the common perch. – Dict. of Nat. Hist.

COLE'-SEED, n.

1. The seed of the navew, Napus sativa, or long-rooted, narrow-leafed rapa; reckoned a species of Brassica or cabbage. – Encyc.
2. Cabbage seed. – Mortimer.

COLE'-WORT, n. [cole and wort, Sax. wyrt, an herb.]

A particular species of cole, Brassica, or cabbage.

COL'IC, or COL'IC-AL, a.

Affecting the bowels. – Milton.

COL'IC, n. [L. colicus; Gr. κωλικος, from κωλον, the colon.]

In general, a severe pain in the bowels, of which there are serveral varieties; as bilious colic, hysteric colic, nervous colic, and many others. – Coxe. Quincy.