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Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Brass Monkey Shivers



Once again, 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]

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

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