Word of the Day
: January 8, 2025gelid
playWhat It Means
Something described as gelid, such as the weather or a person’s demeanor, is literally or figuratively extremely cold or icy.
// She decided to move down south after experiencing Chicago’s gelid winters throughout college.
gelid in Context
“[Delish.com’s assistant food editor, Taylor Ann] Spencer notes Oregon-based ice creamery Salt & Straw for ‘combos like Pistachio with Saffron, and Hibiscus and Coconut.’ Other offerings there sound like a warm hug in gelid form: Jasmine Milk Tea laced with chocolate-coated almond slivers, or Rhubarb Crumble with Toasted Anise.” — Kim Cook, The Chicago Sun-Times, 30 June 2023
Did You Know?
Alright stop, collaborate and listen: the history of gelid is all about ice, ice, baby. Gelid entered English late in the 16th century from the Latin adjective gelidus, which ultimately comes from the noun gelu, meaning “frost” or “cold.” (The noun gelatin, which can refer to an edible jelly that undergoes a cooling process as part of its formation, comes from the related Latin word, gelare, meaning “to freeze.”) Gelid is used to describe anything of extremely cold temperature (as in “the gelid waters of the Arctic Ocean”), but the word can also be used figuratively to describe a person with a cold demeanor (as in “the prizefighter’s gelid stare”).
