cold-blooded
UK[ˌkəʊld ˈblʌdɪd]US[ˌkoʊld ˈblʌdɪd]
adj
having a body temperature that varies with the surrounding environment, as in fish and reptiles.
adj
without emotion or pity; deliberately cruel or callous.
Morpheme Breakdown
cold
blood
ed
cold
low temperature
blood
life fluid
ed
having the quality of
Etymology
the compound adjective "cold-blooded" is a native english formation, built from germanic elements. the first element, "cold," derives from the old english ceald, which has a proto-germanic root kaldaz, ultimately from the proto-indo-european root gel- meaning "cold." the second element, "blood," comes from old english blōd, from proto-germanic blōþam. the literal, zoological sense of "having cold blood" (i.e., body temperature regulated by the environment) emerged in the early 17th century, directly combining these concrete meanings. by the early 19th century, this physiological term was figuratively extended to describe human behavior, implying a lack of the warm passions associated with life and vitality, thus meaning "deliberately cruel or unfeeling." this evolution showcases how a descriptive biological term can acquire a potent metaphorical meaning in characterizing emotion and conduct.
Analysis
Structure: cold (low temperature) + blood (life fluid) + ed (having the quality of)
cold: from old english cald/ceald, of germanic origin; related to dutch koud and german kalt. functions as an adjective describing low temperature.
blood: from old english blōd, of germanic origin; related to dutch bloed and german blut. functions as a noun denoting the fluid circulating in the veins.
ed: from old english -ed, -od, -ad, a suffix forming adjectives from nouns, meaning "having, provided with, characterized by."
Examples
snakes and lizards are cold-blooded animals.
the murder was described as a cold-blooded act.
he was too cold-blooded to be swayed by emotional appeals.