COOL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cool mean? 

• COOL (noun)
  The noun COOL has 2 senses:

1. the quality of being at a refreshingly low temperature

2. great coolness and composure under strain

  Familiarity information: COOL used as a noun is rare.

• COOL (adjective)
  The adjective COOL has 7 senses:

1. neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

2. marked by calm self-control (especially in trying circumstances); unemotional

3. inducing the impression of coolness; used especially of greens and blues and violets when referring to color

4. psychologically cool and unenthusiastic; unfriendly or unresponsive or showing dislike

5. being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

6. used of a quantity or amount (especially of money) for emphasis

7. fashionable and attractive at the time; often skilled or socially adept

  Familiarity information: COOL used as an adjective is common.

• COOL (verb)
  The verb COOL has 3 senses:

1. make cool or cooler

2. loose heat

3. lose intensity

  Familiarity information: COOL used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COOL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality of being at a refreshingly low temperature

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

the cool of early morning

Hypernyms ("cool" is a kind of...):

cold; coldness; frigidity; frigidness; low temperature (the absence of heat)

Derivation:

cool (make cool or cooler)

cool (loose heat)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Great coolness and composure under strain

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

aplomb; assuredness; cool; poise; sang-froid

Context example:

keep your cool

Hypernyms ("cool" is a kind of...):

calm; calmness; composure; equanimity (steadiness of mind under stress)

• COOL (adjective)

Declension: comparative and superlative

Sense 1

Meaning:

Neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

Context example:

a cool breeze

Similar:

air-conditioned (cooled by air conditioning)

air-cooled (cooled by a flow of air)

caller (providing coolness)

precooled (cooled in advance)

water-cooled (kept cool or designed to be kept cool by means of water especially circulating water)

Also:

cold (having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration)

Attribute:

temperature (the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment (corresponding to its molecular activity))

Antonym:

warm (having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat)

Derivation:

coolness (the property of being moderately cold)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Marked by calm self-control (especially in trying circumstances); unemotional

Synonyms:

cool; coolheaded; nerveless

Context example:

the most nerveless winner in the history of the tournament

Similar:

composed (serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress)

Derivation:

coolness (fearless self-possession in the face of danger)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Inducing the impression of coolness; used especially of greens and blues and violets when referring to color

Context example:

the cool sound of rushing water

Similar:

cold ((color) giving no sensation of warmth)

Antonym:

warm (inducing the impression of warmth; used especially of reds and oranges and yellows when referring to color)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Psychologically cool and unenthusiastic; unfriendly or unresponsive or showing dislike

Context example:

cool to the idea of higher taxes

Similar:

unresponsive (aloof or indifferent)

Also:

unagitated (not agitated or disturbed emotionally)

unemotional (unsusceptible to or destitute of or showing no emotion)

unfriendly (not disposed to friendship or friendliness)

cold (extended meanings; especially of psychological coldness; without human warmth or emotion)

Attribute:

emotionalism; emotionality (emotional nature or quality)

Antonym:

warm (psychologically warm; friendly and responsive)

Derivation:

coolness (a lack of affection or enthusiasm)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

Synonyms:

all right; cool; fine; hunky-dory; o.k.; ok; okay

Context example:

another minute I'd have been fine

Similar:

satisfactory (giving satisfaction)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Used of a quantity or amount (especially of money) for emphasis

Context example:

a cool million bucks

Similar:

unqualified (not limited or restricted)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Fashionable and attractive at the time; often skilled or socially adept

Context example:

it's not cool to arrive at a party too early

Similar:

fashionable; stylish (being or in accordance with current social fashions)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Derivation:

coolness (calm and unruffled self-assurance)

• COOL (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make cool or cooler

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

chill; cool; cool down

Context example:

Chill the food

Hypernyms (to "cool" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Cause:

chill; cool; cool down (loose heat)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "cool"):

quench (cool (hot metal) by plunging into cold water or other liquid)

ice (put ice on or put on ice)

refrigerate (cool or chill in or as if in a refrigerator)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They cool the water

Antonym:

heat (make hot or hotter)

Derivation:

cooling (a mechanism for keeping something cool)

cooling (the process of becoming cooler; a falling temperature)

cooler (an iced drink especially white wine and fruit juice)

cooler (a refrigerator for cooling liquids)

coolant (a fluid agent (gas or liquid) that produces cooling; especially one used to cool a system by transferring heat away from one part to another)

cool (the quality of being at a refreshingly low temperature)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Loose heat

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

chill; cool; cool down

Context example:

The air cooled considerably after the thunderstorm

Hypernyms (to "cool" is one way to...):

change state; turn (undergo a transformation or a change of position or action)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

The water cools

Antonym:

heat (gain heat or get hot)

Derivation:

cool (the quality of being at a refreshingly low temperature)

coolant (a fluid agent (gas or liquid) that produces cooling; especially one used to cool a system by transferring heat away from one part to another)

cooling (the process of becoming cooler; a falling temperature)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Lose intensity

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

cool; cool down; cool off

Context example:

His enthusiasm cooled considerably

Hypernyms (to "cool" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

 Context examples 

It cried out with terror, at the same time snarling, and scrambled back to cool its paws in the snow.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The amount of heating and cooling required in buildings is fundamentally related to the properties of the materials they are made from, particularly how much heat they conduct and store.

(Visualising heat flow in bamboo could help design more energy-efficient and fire-safe buildings, University of Cambridge)

Researchers have been trying to improve cooling technology by replacing these gases with solid magnetic materials, such as gadolinium.

(Electronic solid could reduce carbon emissions in fridges and air conditioners, University of Cambridge)

And that's our cool, reserved, and worldly Amy!

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

How well I remember, when my smart and passion began to cool, how wicked I began to feel!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have observed reservoirs of cool gas around some of the earliest galaxies in the Universe.

(ESO Observations Reveal Black Holes' Breakfast at the Cosmic Dawn, ESO)

“The two scenarios we are working on are a cooling of the surface due to exceptional stellar activity or dust ejection towards us,” says Montargès.

(ESO Telescope Sees Surface of Dim Betelgeuse, ESO)

Heating and cooling account for a significant proportion of energy use in buildings.

(Wind more effective than cold air at cooling rooms naturally, University of Cambridge)

The whole "cycle" from the initial cooling to the further cooling is a feedback.

(Climatic feedback mechanisms, NOAA Paleoclimate Glossary)

There are quizzes, games and lots of cool web sites for you to explore.

(Children's Page, NIH)