cool (kōōl)

---

[Middle English cole, from Old English cōl.]

adjective: cool·er, cool·est. 

1. Neither warm nor very cold; moderately cold: fresh, cool water; a cool autumn evening.
2. Giving or suggesting relief from heat: a cool breeze; a cool blouse.
3. Marked by calm self-control: a cool negotiator.
4. Marked by indifference, disdain, or dislike; unfriendly or unresponsive: a cool greeting; was cool to the idea of higher taxes.
5. Of, relating to, or characteristic of colors, such as blue and green, that produce the impression of coolness.
6. Slang
   1. Excellent; first-rate: has a cool sports car; had a cool time at the party.
   2. Acceptable; satisfactory: It's cool if you don't want to talk about it.
7. Slang Entire; full: worth a cool million.

adverb 

Informal In a casual manner; nonchalantly: play it cool.

verb: cooled, cool·ing, cools. 

transitive verb 

1. To make less warm.
2. To make less ardent, intense, or zealous: problems that soon cooled my enthusiasm for the project.
3. Physics To reduce the molecular or kinetic energy of (an object).

intransitive verb 

1. To become less warm: took a dip to cool off.
2. To become calmer: needed time for tempers to cool.

noun 

1. A cool place, part, or time: the cool of early morning.
2. The state or quality of being cool.
3. Composure; poise: “Our release marked a victory. The nation had kept its cool” (Moorhead Kennedy)

idioms

cool it

To calm down; relax. To stop doing something.

cool (one's) heels

To wait or be kept waiting.

derivatives

cooĺish

adjective

cooĺly

adverb

cooĺness

noun

synonyms:

cool, composed, collected, unruffled, nonchalant, imperturbable, detached These adjectives indicate absence of excitement or discomposure in a person, especially in times of stress. Cool usually implies merely a high degree of self-control, but it may also indicate aloofness: “Keep strong, if possible. In any case, keep cool. Have unlimited patience” (B.H. Liddell Hart) “An honest hater is often a better fellow than a cool friend” (John Stuart Blackie) Composed implies serenity arising from self-discipline: The dancer was composed as she prepared for her recital. Collected suggests self-possession: The witness remained collected throughout the questioning. Unruffled emphasizes calm despite circumstances that might elicit agitation: “with contented mind and unruffled spirit” (Anthony Trollope) Nonchalant describes a casual manner that may suggest, sometimes misleadingly, a lack of interest or concern: He reacted to the news in a nonchalant manner. Imperturbable stresses unshakable calmness usually considered as an inherent trait: “A man … /Cool, and quite English, imperturbable” (Byron) Detached implies aloofness resulting either from lack of active concern or from resistance to emotional involvement: He sat through the service with a detached air.

See also: cold