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head cold

American  

noun

  1. a form of the common cold characterized especially by nasal congestion and sneezing.


Etymology

Origin of head cold

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

At first it was only a slight increase in the hoarseness, as if I’d been sick with a head cold.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026

Ultrapure-water projects are big, one-off beasts that everybody and his brother wants to build, so even the smart operators can watch their margins get mugged the minute capital spending gets a head cold.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 9, 2025

"I went from, I got a little bit of a head cold to I have cancer, and it was pretty overwhelming. This has been a really fast roller coaster ride of a journey," he said.

From Salon ● Nov. 14, 2024

“I went from, I got a little bit of a head cold to I have cancer, and it was pretty overwhelming.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2024

Orr was snuffling and sneezing with a crippling head cold.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

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