cold-blooded

adjective

cold-blood·​ed ˈkōl(d)-ˈblə-dəd How to pronounce cold-blooded (audio)
1
a
: done or acting without consideration, compunction, or clemency
cold-blooded murder
b
: matter-of-fact, emotionless
a cold-blooded assessment
2
: having cold blood
specifically : having a body temperature not internally regulated but approximating that of the environment
3
or coldblood : of mixed or inferior breeding
4
: noticeably sensitive to cold
cold-bloodedly adverb
cold-bloodedness noun

Examples of cold-blooded in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Fish Fast Bass are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperatures and metabolisms are regulated by the water temps around them. Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 6 Mar. 2024 For the left, Kissinger personified a cold-blooded realpolitik that subordinated human rights in the Third World to containment. Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Because fish are cold-blooded and don’t live on land, they’re not considered meat. Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2024 Klay Thompson sent it to double overtime, burying his ice-cold start to the game with a cold-blooded 3 with six seconds remaining. Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2024 Boyd didn't know it then, but that was the beginning of a 15-year search for her daughter that would pit her against a cold-blooded killer. Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 27 Dec. 2023 The Role of Water Temperatures in a Catfish’s Diet Just like all other cold-blooded species, a catfish’s appetite will change depending on temperatures. Outdoor Life, 30 Nov. 2023 Munger backed up Buffett on one of the most cold-blooded decisions at Salomon: to refuse to pay all of the deferred and vested compensation former chairman John Gutfreund claimed he was owed. Matt Schifrin, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 God of a lack of abundance, cold-blooded, ascendant, how do the animals treat you, god? Alice Gribbin, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cold-blooded.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold-blooded was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near cold-blooded

Cite this Entry

“Cold-blooded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold-blooded. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cold-blooded

adjective
cold-blood·​ed
ˈkōl(d)-ˈbləd-əd
1
: lacking or showing a lack of natural human feelings
a cold-blooded criminal
2
: having a body temperature not regulated by the body and close to that of the environment
3
: sensitive to cold
cold-bloodedly adverb

Medical Definition

cold-blooded

adjective
cold-blood·​ed ˈkōl(d)-ˈbləd-əd How to pronounce cold-blooded (audio)
: having a body temperature not internally regulated but approximating that of the environment : poikilothermic
cold-blooded amphibians and reptiles
cold-bloodedness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cold-blooded

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