arch. Forms: 3 acoled (?), 4 acoold, acoild, 5–6 acolde, 6–7, 9 acold. [prob. orig. a-cólod, a-cóled, pa. pple. of acólian, acólen (see ACOOL), which became regularly acooled in 16th c., but when used adjectively preserved the original o before two consonants, or by assimilation to adj. COLD.] Cooled, chilled, cold.
c. 1314. Guy Warw., 20. Al to michel thou art afoild [= afooled], Now thi blod it is acoild.
1393. Gower, Conf. Am., III. 35. Thus lay this pouer in great distresse, Acolde and hongry at the gate.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 2658. And waite without in woo and peyne, Full yvel a-coolde in wynde and reyne.
1461. Past. Lett., 421, II. 63. It begynyth to wax a cold abydyng her.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, 52. He behelde where satte an olde knyght that was sore acolde.
1563. Homilies, II. ii. III. (1859), 233. Who have need either of meat when we be hungry, or drink when we be thirsty, or clothing when we be acold.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie (1869), 236. Alwaies burning and euer chill a colde.
1605. Shaks., K. Lear, III. iv. 59. Tom’s a-cold.
1608. Tourneur, Reveng. Trag., II. i. 51. All thriues but chastity; she lyes a cold.
1821. Keats, St. Agnes’ Eve, i. 170. The owl for all his feathers was a-cold.
1843. Southey, Compl. of Poor, Wks. II. 195. And we were wrapt and coated well, And yet we were a-cold.
1863. A. B. Grosart, Small Sins (ed. 2), 90. Their a-cold breath blights the fragile blossoms.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., III. IV. 341. Before the sun of that day grew acold.
