chill
UK[tʃɪl]US[tʃɪl]
n
an unpleasant feeling of coldness.
n
a feverish cold.
n
a feeling of fear or anxiety that makes you lose your confidence.
v
to make or become cold, but not freezing.
v
to make someone feel frightened or discouraged.
adj
unpleasantly cold.
Etymology
the word 'chill' originates from the old english noun 'ciele' or 'cele', meaning 'cold, frost, chill'. this old english term is derived from the proto-germanic 'kaliz', which is itself rooted in the proto-indo-european base 'gel-', meaning 'cold' or 'to freeze'. this ancient root is prolific, giving rise to a family of cold-related words across indo-european languages, such as latin 'gelu' (frost) and english 'cold' and 'gelid'. the semantic journey from the physical sensation of coldness to metaphorical uses describing fear or discouragement is a common pattern, where a physical state is used to express an emotional or psychological condition.
Analysis
the word 'chill' is a simplex word of old english origin. it does not break down into smaller, meaningful morphemes within modern english spelling.
Examples
there's a distinct chill in the evening air now that autumn has arrived.
the bad news cast a chill over the celebratory gathering.
you should chill the white wine before serving it.