gelid

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 6, 2008 is: gelid • \JELL-id\  • adjective : extremely cold : icy Examples: The rescue team braved gelid conditions as they searched the mountain for the lost climber. Did you know? "Gelid" first appeared in English late in the 16th century, coming to our language from Latin "gelidus," which ultimately derives from the noun "gelu," meaning "frost" or "cold." (Our noun "gelatin," which can refer to an edible jelly that undergoes a cooling process as part of its formation, comes from a related Latin word: "gelare," meaning "to freeze.") "Gelid" is used in English 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 criminal's gelid stare"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.