gelid

English

WOTD – 26 February 2008

Etymology

First attested in 1630. From Latin gelidus (“cold”), from gelu (“frost”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛl.ɪd/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛl.əd/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

gelid (comparative more gelid, superlative most gelid)

1. Very cold; icy or frosty.
   • 1837, Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, (please specify the book or page number):

     Of Cassandra-Marat we have spoken often; yet the most surprising truth remains to be spoken: that he actually does not want sense; but, with croaking gelid throat, croaks out masses of the truth, on several things.

   • 1898, Florence Earle Coates, “Siberia”, in Poems:

     Above the gelid source of mountain springs,
     ⁠A solitary eagle, circling, flies.

   • 2005, Robert Jordan, Knife of Dreams:

     In the worst of summer the tower remained cool, yet the air seemed feverish and gelid when sisters of different Ajahs came too close.

Derived terms

• gelidity / gelidness
• gelidly

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gel- (0 c, 21 e)

Translations

very cold; icy

Bulgarian: леден (bg) (leden) Czech: ledový (cs) m, (of water also:) krahová f Dutch: ijzig (nl) Finnish: jäätävä (fi), jääkylmä (fi) French: froid (fr), glacé (fr), glacial (fr) Georgian: გაყინული (gaq̇inuli), ყინულოვანი (q̇inulovani), ყინულიანი (q̇inuliani), ცივ-ცივი (civ-civi), ცივი (civi) Italian: gelido (it), freddo (it), gelato (it), ghiacciato (it) Portuguese: gélido (pt) Russian: ледяно́й (ru) (ledjanój) Spanish: gélido (es) Swedish: iskall (sv), frusen (sv) Ukrainian: льодовий m (lʹodovyj), крижаний m (kryžanyj)

Anagrams

• Glide, glide, lidge, liged

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch gelit; cognate with German Glied. By surface analysis, ge- +‎ lid.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɣəˈlɪt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ge‧lid
• Rhymes: -ɪt

Noun

gelid n (plural gelederen)

1. row of a formation, battle line
2. an organizational rank, especially a military rank

Descendants

• Afrikaans: gelid

Noun

gelid n (plural geleden)

1. a joint, a point of articulation

Anagrams

• gilde, ledig