COLD WATER

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does cold water mean? 

• COLD WATER (noun)
  The noun COLD WATER has 1 sense:

1. disparagement of a plan or hope or expectation

  Familiarity information: COLD WATER used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COLD WATER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Disparagement of a plan or hope or expectation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

she poured cold water on the whole idea of going to Africa

Hypernyms ("cold water" is a kind of...):

depreciation; derogation; disparagement (a communication that belittles somebody or something)

 Context examples 

You can try: • Breathing into a paper bag • Drinking or sipping a glass of cold water • Holding your breath

(Hiccups, NIH)

He threw in the coffee, settled it with half a cup of cold water, and took the pot from the stove.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

When the fresh irons proved too hot, they hooked them on iron rods and dipped them into cold water.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Oh! no; there would be a Mrs. Knightley to throw cold water on every thing.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

You can also get it from being cold and wet, or under cold water for too long.

(Hypothermia, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

I don't wish to get cross, so let's change the subject; and Jo looked quite ready to fling cold water on the slightest provocation.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI) History; when you get into the tub or shower, are you able to tell the hot water from the cold water?

(MNSI - Able to Tell Hot from Cold Water, NCI Thesaurus)

A synthetic, brick-red crystalline solid that is only slightly soluble in cold water and ethanol but is soluble in boiling water, acetic acid, glycerol, ethylene glycol and propylene glycol.

(Phenazopyridine Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)

Açaí juice contamination can be avoided by appropriate handling of the fruit, including dipping the fruit in boiling water for ten seconds and then spraying them with cold water.

(Açaí fruit can transmit Chagas disease, SciDev.Net)

I undid his collar, poured the cold water over his face, and raised and sank his arms until he drew a long, natural breath.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)