From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishchillchill1 /tʃɪl/ ●○○ noun 1 [singular]COLD a feeling of coldness There was a slight chill in the air.morning/autumnal/January etc chill Suddenly aware of the morning chill, she closed the window.chill of He sat in the chill of the evening, staring out over the city below. I turned on the heater in the hall to take the chill off the house (=to heat it slightly).2 [countable]FRIGHTENED a sudden feeling of fear or worry, especially because of something cruel or violent The sound of his dark laugh sent a chill through her.chill of fear/apprehension/disquiet etc Fay felt a chill of fear as she watched Max go off with her daughter. There was something in his tone that sent a chill down Melissa’s spine (=made her very frightened).3 a) [countable] an illness which causes a slight fever, headache, and shivering (=slight shaking of the body) Let’s get these wet clothes off you before you catch a chill. b) [countable usually plural] a feeling of being cold, caused by being ill
Examples from the Corpus
chill• Her description of the massacre sent a chill through the audience.• There was that sudden, breathtaking chill of cold, clean air as you walked into the dome.• There was a definite chill in his voice when he answered.• But for both of them, in different ways, there was now an enduring chill in their lives.• Symptoms include fever, chills, and increased heart rate.• The sound of his bracelet precedes him and he brings a rush of morning chill in.• A small heater keeps off the night chill.• To his bemusement there was no chill, or else the chill was lost on him.• It complements a banger perfectly and will make you forget the November chill.• The guides launched their drift boats at 9 a. m.; by 9: 30 the chill had set in.• And the chill will soon reach the betting shops too.chill in the air• I felt a chill in the air all of a sudden.• It was late in the afternoon, shadows, a chill in the air.• There was already a distinct chill in the air, and the rooms over the stables weren't heated.• There was suddenly an intense chill in the air.• The moon is beginning to take the twilight, temperature drops alarmingly, there's a real chill in the air.• The chill in the air began to clear her head.• The chill in the air caught me by surprise, a sharp mountain night breeze.• It was summer and despite the uncharacteristic chill in the air, the tourists were swarming the beaches.sent a chill through• The telegram from the Red Cross arrived at noon and its yellow envelope sent a chill through her heart.catch a chill• Overnight she'd caught a chill which showed every sign of developing into pneumonia.• Anders caught a bucketful of salmon, and I caught a chill in the salt spray.• Perhaps the beach volleyball players might catch a chill on the way there.chillchill2 ●○○ verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]DFCCOLD if you chill something such as food or drink, or if it chills, it becomes very cold but does not freeze Spoon the mixture into a bowl and chill for two hours. The longer this salad chills, the better the flavour.2 [intransitive] (also chill out) informal to relax completely instead of feeling angry, tired, or nervous ‘Hold it! Just chill for a second, won’t you!’ I spent the afternoon chilling out in front of the TV.3 [transitive]COLD to make someone very cold The wind blew across her body, chilling her wet skin.chilled to the bone/marrow (=extremely cold) Come and sit by the fire – you look chilled to the bone.4 [transitive] literaryFRIGHTENED to suddenly frighten someone, especially by seeming very cruel or violent The anger in his face chilled her.chill somebody to the bone/chill somebody to the marrow/chill somebody’s blood (=frighten someone a lot) He jerked his head round and saw something that chilled his blood.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
chill• Either by design or accident, Joe first boiled the crabs, then chilled and served them to an employee.• Chilled by the winds, people huddled under blankets.• I think the wine should be chilled enough by now.• Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least an hour.• Additional time is required for cooking or chilling homemade dishes.• The look in her eye chilled me.• Shelly, just chill out, okay.• Put some ice in the sink, and we'll chill the drinks in there.• Similar results are obtained on chilling the petiole of leaf 1 to 3°C, except that translocation is inhibited for at least 20 minutes.• Chill the salad for an hour or two before serving.chilled to the bone/marrow• The thought made him flush hot with embarrassment even though chilled to the marrow.• The target unit is chilled to the bone, causing limbs to snap and weapons to break.• By that time I was chilled to the bone, exhausted from the relentless battering of the traffic, sullen and depressed.• Though chilled to the marrow, Karelius was otherwise not in too bad shape.• Soaked to the skin and chilled to the marrow of her bones, she shivered uncontrollably.chillchill3 adjective [usually before noun] COLDunpleasantly cold the chill night air a chill windExamples from the Corpus
chill• The house felt as if it had been converted to institutional use, someplace impersonal and chill.• An eddy of chill air swirled into the carriage, fastening on his knuckles.• Ronald Reagan reluctantly canceled his inaugural parade in 1985 when the chill factor dropped well below zero, endangering the marchers.• A chill rain was falling steadily when we reached Bakhim Forest Rest House.• Eyes glitter with a memory of the chill snowfields that once claimed her.• By now the skies were black, a chill wind was blustering down the street and the rain was slashing sideways.Origin chill2 (1300-1400) chile “coldness” ((11-15 centuries)), from Old English cele 