Phrase guide

cold wave

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A short period of very cold weather.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cold snap, cold spell

Antonyms: heatwave

2

noun

Meaning 2

A permanent wave in the hair set by special solutions without the aid of any heating machine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Alternative spelling of coldwave (“European post-punk music sub-genre”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a wave of unusually cold weather

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wave

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مَوْجَةُ اْلبَرْدِ (mawjatu ālbardi) — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Chinese Mandarin: 寒流 (hánliú) — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Dutch: koudegolf — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Finnish: kylmäaalto — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • French: vague de froid — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Georgian: ტემპერატურის ვარდნა (ṭemṗeraṭuris vardna) — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Georgian: უეცარი აციება (uecari acieba) — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • German: Kältewelle — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Hungarian: hideghullám — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Icelandic: kuldabylgja — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Japanese: 寒波 (kanpa) — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Polish: fala chłodnego powietrza — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Spanish: ola de frío — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Swedish: köldvåg — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Turkish: soğuk dalgası — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Turkish: soğuk hava dalgası — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature
  • Vietnamese: sóng lạnh — a short period with a considerable fall in temperature