Baby, It’s Cold Outside

In honor of the weather that we're experiencing in these northern climes, let's look at a small sampling of COLD words today.

• aggelation: the act of freezing to or congealing about [L. gelare, to freeze]
• algefacient: having the power to make cold [L. algere, to be cold]
• algid: cold, esp. the cold stage of an ague [L. algidus, cold]
• algific: causing cold [L. algificus, causing cold]
• cheimaphobia: abnormal fear of winter [Gr. cheimos, winter, cold]
• cryobiology: the study of the effect of low temperatures on living organisms [Gr. kruos, frost, icy cold]
• cryogen: a freezing mixture [Gr. kruos, frost, icy cold]
• frigiferous: bringing cold [L. frigus, cold]
• gelid: extremely cold [L. gelidus, icy cold]
• pagophagia: compulsive desire to eat ice cubes [Gr. pagos, freezing]
• psychrophilic: capable of growing at temperatures close to freezing [Gr. psuchros, cold]
• psychrophobia: fear or hatred of cold, esp. cold water [Gr. psuchros, cold]
• rhigosis: the ability to feel cold [Gr. rhigos, cold]

Now available from McFarland & Co.: Word Parts Dictionary, 2nd edition

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