head cold

American  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of head cold

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

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

There was a problem, though: Captain Schirra had a heavy head cold, Major Eisele had a lesser cold and Mr. Cunningham, as he would later recall, felt “a little blah.”

From New York Times • Jan. 3, 2023

It was glorious, despite the fact that Barack’s head cold managed to return in full force, and also despite the mud baths, which we deemed to be unsoothing and kind of icky.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama