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

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Etymology

Origin of common cold

First recorded in 1780–90

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

common cold

I was told it had healed diabetes sores, infertility, a frozen shoulder, and the common cold.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

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

From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026

“They think, ‘I’m the only schmuck that feels this bad,’ and never get the corrective feedback that depression is like the common cold of mental illness.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026

When rhinovirus, the most common cause of the common cold, enters the nasal passages, the cells lining the nose immediately begin working together to fight the infection.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 22, 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

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