warm-blooded

American  

[wawrm-bluhd-id] / ˈwɔrmˈblʌd ɪd /

adjective

1. Also designating or pertaining to animals, as mammals and birds, whose blood ranges in temperatures from about 98° to 112°F (37° to 44°C) and remains relatively constant, irrespective of the temperature of the surrounding medium; homoiothermal.

2. ardent, impetuous, or passionate.

   young and warm-blooded valor.

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warm-blooded British  

adjective

1. ardent, impetuous, or passionate

2. Technical name: homoiothermic.  (of birds and mammals) having a constant body temperature, usually higher than the temperature of the surroundings

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warm-blooded Scientific  

/ wôrm′blŭd′ĭd /

1. Having a relatively warm body temperature that stays about the same regardless of changes in the temperature of the surroundings. Birds and mammals are warm-blooded.

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Other Word Forms

• warm-bloodedness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of warm-blooded

First recorded in 1785–95

Compare meaning

How does warm-blooded compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• warm-blooded vs. cold-blooded

Explanation

A warm-blooded animal can keep its body temperature higher (or lower) than the environment around it. Humans, crows, and cats are all warm-blooded; spiders, snakes, and goldfish are not. The more scientific term for a warm-blooded animal is an endotherm, or an animal that uses its metabolism to regulate its body temperature. If you take your temperature while standing in the snow, it will be nearly the same as when you're hanging out on the beach in the summer — because you're a warm-blooded endotherm. Animals that don't fall into this category, like reptiles and insects, are cold-blooded, also known as ectotherms.

Example Sentences

An infestation occurs when fly maggots infest the living flesh of warm-blooded animals, the CDC says.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2025

Global warming is a big challenge for warm-blooded animals, which must maintain a constant body temperature to prevent their bodies from overheating.

From BBC • May 21, 2025

As a warm-blooded millennial woman who spent much of the early aughts roaming the expanses of suburban Ohio shopping malls, I have been hardwired to love a bargain.

From Slate • Mar. 1, 2025

She added that more research is needed on how rising temperatures impact warm-blooded animals, including humans.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024

The females of this species lay their eggs in any open wound of a warm-blooded animal.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson