cold storage

American  

noun

1. the storage of food, furs, etc., in an artificially cooled place.

2. a condition of suspension of action or activity; abeyance.

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cold storage British  

noun

1. the storage of things in an artificially cooled place for preservation

2. informal a state of temporary suspension

   to put an idea into cold storage

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cold storage Idioms  

1. see in cold storage.

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Etymology

Origin of cold storage

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cold storage

Outlining the case on Monday, Paxton told the court bodies had been discovered "on the racks" of a cold storage area and one was found on a stretcher on the floor.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

A year before a massive fire at a Boyle Heights cold storage building sent polluted smoke into surrounding communities, the operator of the facility came to Los Angeles City Hall with a request.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

In the early 1900s, the construction of cold storage facilities using new refrigeration technology in the Shenandoah Valley spurred the growth of Loudoun County’s apple industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Lineage, which operated the cold storage warehouse, hired Signal Restoration Services — a national cleanup and restoration company — to lead efforts at the Boyle Heights facility, the company said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

You couldn’t knock down the skyscrapers when the tenants left; so instead boards went over the windows and doors, and the great shells of commerce were put in cold storage.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides