in cold blood Definition

blood
noun

1. A fluid tissue that circulates in the arteries veins, and capillaries of the body as a result of muscular contractions of the heart.
2. Relationship through belonging to the same family or race, etc; descent.

Example: of royal blood
Thesaurus: lineage, stock, ancestry, descent, family, birth, extraction.
3. Near family.

Example: He's my own flesh and blood
4. Bloodshed or murder; violence.

Example: When the ceasefire ends we shall see more blood
5. Temper; passionSee also humour noun 6.

Example: Watch out, his blood is up!
6. Human nature, especially a person's innate or sensual nature.
7a. Life or vitality; lifeblood;
7b. A group of people seen as adding new strength, youth, young ideas, etc to an existing group.

Form: new blood (especially)
Form: young blood
(Brit)
8. old use
A man, especially a rowdy or spirited young aristocrat, who is interested in fashion, etc and thinks a lot about his appearance.

verb blooded, blooding

1. hunting.
To give (a young hound) its first taste of a freshly killed animal.
2. To give someone the first experience of (war or battle, etc).

Idiom: after someone's blood (out for someone's blood)

To be extremely angry with them and to want revenge, or to fight or hurt them.

Idiom: blood is thicker than water

One's obligations and loyalty towards one's own family are more important than those towards other people.

Idiom: in cold blood

Deliberately or cruelly; showing no concern or passion.
Thesaurus: deliberately, cruelly, intentionally, indifferently.

Idiom: in one's or someone's blood

In one's or their character.

Idiom: make one's blood boil

To make one extremely angry.

Idiom: make someone's blood run cold

To frighten or horrify them.

Idiom: sweat blood (sweat blood over something)

To work very hard; to put strenuous effort into it.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon blod.

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cold
adj

1. Low in temperature; not hot or warm.

Thesaurus: chilly, inclement, frozen, frigid, arctic, biting, raw, wintry, glacial, icy; Antonym: warm.
2. Lower in temperature than is normal, comfortable or pleasant.
3. Said of food: cooked, but not eaten hot.

Example: cold meat
4. Unfriendly.

Thesaurus: distant, reserved, cool, indifferent, aloof, chill, unmoved, standoffish, stony; Antonym: friendly, sympathetic, passionate.
5. Comfortless; depressing.
6. colloq
Unenthusiastic.
Example: The suggestion left me cold
7. Without warmth or emotion.

Example: a cold calculating person
8. Sexually unresponsive.
9. Said of colours: producing a feeling of coldness rather than warmth.
10. colloq
Unconscious, usually after a blow, fall, etc.
Example: out cold
11. Dead.
12. Said of someone trying to guess or find something: far from the answer or the hidden object.
13. Said of a trail or scent: not fresh; too old to follow.

adverb

1. Without preparation or rehearsal.

noun

1. Lack of heat or warmth; cold weather.

Thesaurus: chill, frigidity, frostiness, refrigeration, freeze, draught, glaciation, gelidity; Antonym: warmth, heat.
(also Scottish)
2. A highly contagious viral infection, which causes inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory organs and whose symptoms include a sore throat, coughing and sneezing, and a congested nose. Also called the common cold.

Form: the cold

Derivative: coldly
adverb

With an unfriendly manner.

Derivative: coldness
noun

Idiom: catch cold

To become ill with a cold.

Idiom: get cold feet

To lose courage.

To become reluctant to carry something out.

Idiom: give someone the cold shoulder

colloq
To respond aloofly to them; to rebuff or snub them.

Idiom: in cold blood

Deliberately and unemotionally.

Idiom: make someone's blood run cold

To terrify or horrify them.

Idiom: out in the cold

colloq
Ignored, disregarded and neglected by others.
Thesaurus: forgotten, ignored, rejected, abandoned, left to rot (slang).

Idiom: pour cold water on something (throw cold water on something)

colloq
To be discouraging or unenthusiastic about a plan, idea, etc.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon ceald.