cold storage

American

noun

the storage of food, furs, etc., in an artificially cooled place.
a condition of suspension of action or activity; abeyance.

cold storage British

noun

the storage of things in an artificially cooled place for preservation
informal a state of temporary suspension

to put an idea into cold storage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cold storage Idioms

see in cold storage.

Etymology

Origin of cold storage

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These vaccines also require cold storage and may cause unintended off-target effects.

From Science Daily • Mar. 17, 2026

Half of new medicines hitting the global market from 2023 to 2027 are expected to require cold storage, up from 37% of products launched between 2013 and 2017, according to healthcare research firm IQVIA.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

The head of the unit, Dr Ahmed Dheir, said one of their biggest limitations is a lack of cold storage space.

From BBC • Oct. 24, 2025

Henry Pearlman was born in Brooklyn in 1895 and made his fortune in cold storage and refrigeration.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2025

Men drove swine and cattle, while others hauled massive blocks of ice for cold storage or dragged handcarts loaded with goods.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023