common cold

American  

noun

common colds plural

1. cold.

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common cold British  

noun

1. a mild viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, characterized by sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, nasal congestion, sore throat, etc

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common cold Scientific  

/ kŏm′ən /

1. A respiratory infection caused by any of several viruses, such as adenovirus or rhinovirus, in which the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, and throat become inflamed. Common-cold symptoms include fever, nasal discharge, sneezing, and coughing.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• common colds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of common cold

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

common cold

It uses a common cold virus that normally infects chimpanzees but has been genetically engineered to make it safe for people.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

The findings, published in Nature Communications, explain how viruses responsible for illnesses such as polio, encephalitis, myocarditis, and even the common cold take control of cellular machinery to copy themselves.

From Science Daily ● May 13, 2026

Endemicity is when an infection is constantly present, like the common cold.

From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026

Winter brings a surge of respiratory illnesses, including rhinoviruses, the most frequent cause of the common cold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

As we all know from experience, there are some illnesses, such as flu and the common cold, to which our resistance is only temporary; we can eventually contract the illness again.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond