common cold

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of common cold

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

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

“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

University students are particularly at risk because they mix with lots of new people, and the bacteria that cause meningitis are spread in similar ways to the common cold through sneezing and coughing.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

The test positivity rate for rhinoviruses and enteroviruses, which typically cause the common cold, is 19.87%.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2025

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