chill

—chillingly, adv. —chillness, n.

/chil/, n.

1. coldness, esp. a moderate but uncomfortably penetrating coldness: the chill of evening.

2. a sensation of cold, usually with shivering: She felt a slight chill from the open window.

3. a feeling of sudden fear, anxiety, or alarm.

4. sudden coldness of the body, as during the cold stage of an ague: fevers and chills.

5. a depressing influence or sensation: His presence cast a chill over everyone.

6. lack of warmth of feeling; unfriendliness; coolness.

7. Foundry. an inserted object or a surface in a mold capable of absorbing large amounts of heat, used to harden the surface of a casting or to increase its rate of solidification at a specific point.

8. bloom¹ (def. 10).

adj.

9. moderately cold; tending to cause shivering; chilly: a chill wind.

10. shivering with or affected by cold; chilly.

11. depressing or discouraging: chill prospects.

12. Slang. cool (def. 14).

13. unduly formal; unfriendly; chilly: a chill reception.

v.i.

14. to become cold: The earth chills when the sun sets.

15. to be seized with a chill; shiver with cold or fear.

16. Foundry. (of a casting) to become hard on the surface by contact with a chill or chills.

v.t.

17. to affect with cold; make chilly: The rain has chilled me to the bone.

18. to make cool: Chill the wine before serving.

19. to depress; discourage; deter: The news chilled his hopes.

20. Foundry. to harden the surface of (a casting) by casting it in a mold having a chill or chills.

21. bloom¹ (def. 19).

22. Slang. to kill; murder.

23. chill out, Slang. to calm down; relax.

[bef. 900; ME chile, OE ci(e)le, cele coolness; akin to GELID, COOL, COLD]

Syn. 9. See cold. 13. cold, aloof, hostile, stiff.

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