cold call

noun

1. a visit or telephone call to a prospective customer without an appointment or a previous introduction.

cold call

noun

1. a call made by a salesman on a potential customer without making an appointment

verb

1. to call on (a potential customer) without making an appointment

Other Word Forms

• cold calling noun
• cold caller noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cold call¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

Allan said he cannot remember whether he asked them to come, or whether it was a cold call.

From BBC

He’d never spoken to Wesley Yates III but was familiar enough with the guard from Beaumont, Texas, to cold call him in 2021 to offer a scholarship.

From Los Angeles Times

"It was a cold call but we received a very warm reception, and Donald Trump has a photograph of us all on his office wall."

From BBC

“I don’t have time to cold call all day,” said one real estate agent who asked to remain anonymous due to the potential taboo of using the technology.

From Los Angeles Times

Back then, Taylor received a cold call from the CEO of BMG, Hartwig Masuch.

From Salon