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

Bachteler moved from San Diego to join Burnley's coaching staff in December 2025 and after a few weeks she thought jet lag and a busy schedule had led to a common cold.

From BBC ● Sep. 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

Imagine someone sneezing in a crowded elevator, releasing into the air ten variants of a rhinovirus, the kind of virus that causes the common cold.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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