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

“The application is for a permit to repair the damage from the fire, which was not caused by the cold storage operations at the facility,” the company stated.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Cleanup efforts at a fire-ravaged cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights just got messier.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

Tuchel will still be keeping his fingers crossed that Kane stays fit, especially with Toney and Watkins placed in cold storage.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 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

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