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 infects chimpanzees that has been genetically modified to make it safe.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 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

“Inhaling pollution or cigarette smoke really changes the immune response to the next thing you’re exposed to, like a common cold virus, and that usually means a more detrimental inflammatory response,” she said.

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