Meanings
- archaicliterarynot comparableFeeling cold.
c 1603–1606: Shakespeare, King Lear, IV-i Poor Tom's acold.
2 more examples
When, for all his feathers, he’s acold, the bird plunges from his perch head foremost into the snow.
1897 January, Paul Van Dyke, “After Caribou on Snow-Shoes”, in Outing, volume 29, number 4, page 363To debate with Tao-an would be for me like drink to one who is athirst, like fire to one who is acold.
1960, “The Story of Hui-yüan”, in Arthur Waley, transl., Ballads and Stories from Tun-huang: An Anthology, page 120
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveof persons; feeling cold
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishācōlod
- Middle Englishacoled
- Englishacold
From Middle English acoled (past participle of acolen (“to grow cold or cool”)), from Old English ācōlod (past participle of ācōlian (“to grow cold”)), equivalent to a- + cold.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
acold. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acold
“acold.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acold. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acold,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acold.
Source: acold on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.