cool down

1. Also, cool off.

2. Effect a lower temperature, especially of the body following vigorous exercise. For example, After a race the coach makes the entire team do stretches to cool down , or Let's take a dip to cool off . These phrases date from a.d. 1000 with reference to the weather or cooking (as in First let the eggs cool off ). The first gained renewed currency with the exercise boom of the late 1900s.

3. See cool off , def. 2.

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