cold-war
UK[ˌkəʊld ˈwɔː]US[ˌkoʊld ˈwɔːr]
n
A state of political tension and military rivalry between nations that stops short of full-scale war, especially that between the US and the USSR following World War II.
Morpheme Breakdown
cold
war
cold
adjective
war
noun
Etymology
The term "Cold War" is a metaphorical compound originating in the post-1945 geopolitical lexicon. It directly combines the English adjective "cold," implying a lack of direct heat or active hostility, with the noun "war," denoting a state of conflict. The phrase was popularized to describe the prolonged state of political, ideological, and proxy military tension between the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc, primarily the United States and the Soviet Union. This "war" was "cold" because it lacked direct, large-scale armed combat between the major powers, instead manifesting through arms races, espionage, propaganda, and economic competition. The logic of the term perfectly captures the paradoxical nature of an intense rivalry conducted under a veneer of peace.
Analysis
Structure: cold (adjective) + war (noun)
- cold: From Old English cald, ceald, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch koud and German kalt. Functions as an adjective describing lack of heat or warmth.
- war: From Old North French werre, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German werra 'strife'. Functions as a noun denoting a state of armed conflict.
Examples
The Cold War dominated international relations for much of the second half of the 20th century.
Espionage and propaganda were key tools used by both sides during the Cold War.
The fall of the Berlin Wall is often seen as a symbolic end to the Cold War era.