cool

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English col, from Old English cōl; akin to Old High German kuoli cool, Old English ceald cold — more at cold Date: before 12th century 1. moderately cold ; lacking in warmth 2. a. marked by steady dispassionate calmness and self-control <

a cool and calculating administrator — Current Biography

> b. lacking ardor or friendliness <

a cool impersonal manner

> c. of jazz marked by restrained emotion and the frequent use of counterpoint d. free from tensions or violence <

meeting with minority groups in an attempt to keep the city cool

> 3. — used as an intensive <

a cool million dollars

> 4. marked by deliberate effrontery or lack of due respect or discretion <

a cool reply

> 5. facilitating or suggesting relief from heat <

a cool dress

> 6. a. of a color producing an impression of being cool; specifically of a hue in the range violet through blue to green b. of a musical tone relatively lacking in timbre or resonance 7. slang a. very good ; excellent; also all right b. fashionable, hip <

not happy with the new shoes…because they were not cool — Celestine Sibley

> • coolish adjective • coolly also cooly adverb • coolness noun Synonyms: cool, composed, collected, unruffled, imperturbable, nonchalant mean free from agitation or excitement. cool may imply calmness, deliberateness, or dispassionateness <

kept a cool head

>. composed implies freedom from agitation as a result of self-discipline or a sedate disposition <

the composed pianist gave a flawless concert

>. collected implies a concentration of mind that eliminates distractions especially in moments of crisis <

the nurse stayed calm and collected

>. unruffled suggests apparent serenity and poise in the face of setbacks or in the midst of excitement <

harried but unruffled

>. imperturbable implies coolness or assurance even under severe provocation <

the speaker remained imperturbable despite the heckling

>. nonchalant stresses an easy coolness of manner or casualness that suggests indifference or unconcern <

a nonchalant driver

>. II. verb Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. to become cool ; lose heat or warmth <

placed the pie in the window to cool

> — sometimes used with off or down 2. to lose ardor or passion <

his anger cooled

> transitive verb 1. to make cool ; impart a feeling of coolness to <

cooled the room with a fan

> — often used with off or down <

a swim cooled us off a little

> 2. a. to moderate the heat, excitement, or force of ; calm <

cooled her growing anger

> b. to slow or lessen the growth or activity of — usually used with off or down <

wants to cool off the economy without freezing it — Newsweek

> III. noun Date: 15th century 1. a cool time, place, or situation <

the cool of the evening

> 2. a. absence of excitement or emotional involvement ; detachment <

must surrender his fine cool and enter the closed crazy world of suicide — Wilfrid Sheed

> b. poise, composure <

press questions…seemed to rattle him and he lost his cool — New Republic

> 3. hipness IV. adverb Date: 1841 in a casual and nonchalant manner <

play it cool

>