cold wave
Americannoun
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Meteorology. a rapid and considerable drop in temperature, usually affecting a large area.
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a permanent wave in the hair set by special chemical solutions without the aid of any heating device.
noun
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meteorol a sudden spell of low temperatures over a wide area, often following the passage of a cold front
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hairdressing a permanent wave made by chemical agents applied at normal temperatures
Etymology
Origin of cold wave
First recorded in 1875–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Northern Hemisphere was hit by severe cold waves in the final weeks of January as a polar jet stream blew icy air into Europe and North America, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
From Barron's
The president repeated his earlier remarks when speaking to reporters Monday: “I did call up President Putin and he’s agreed…They have the same cold wave that we do.”
“I dunno,” I mumble, feeling a cold wave of disloyalty wash over me.
From Literature
“Parts of Asia, including northwest China, the Korean Peninsula and Japan are set to be hit by a cold wave, which threatens to push demand for heating higher,” analysts at ANZ Research say.
He has already seen a surge in patients complaining of respiratory tract illnesses - “particularly worrying because we have not yet seen our first cold wave of the winter season”.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
