Difference Wiki

Cold vs. Flu

The main differences that exists between Cold and Flu is the presence of fever, aches, chills, tiredness, coughing, headache, and sneezing.

Key Differences

Patient feels slightly aches in case of cold and feels usually severe aches in case of flu.
In cold, symptoms appear gradually while in flu they can appear within 3 to 6 hours.
Samantha Walker
Apr 19, 2015
Coughing is hacking and productive in case of cold while in case of flu it is dry and unproductive.
Harlon Moss
Apr 19, 2015
Fever is mostly present in flu while in cold it is rare.
Influenza virus is the main virus that cause flu. Rhinoviruses are the main viruses that cause cold.
Harlon Moss
Apr 19, 2015
Tiredness level is low in cold and in flu it can range from moderate to severe.
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Sneezing, stuffy nose, and sore throat are very common in case of cold while all these are uncommon in case of flu.
Samantha Walker
Apr 19, 2015
Headache is uncommon in cold and very common in flu.
Janet White
Apr 19, 2015
No sign of vomiting or nausea in case of cold while in flu there may be nausea and vomiting in children but these are not common in adults.
Aimie Carlson
Apr 19, 2015

Cold and Flu Definitions

Cold

Having a low temperature
Cold water.

Flu

Influenza.

Cold

Being at a temperature that is less than what is required or what is normal
Cold oatmeal.
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Flu

Any of several infections that affect the respiratory or gastrointestinal tract and are caused by viruses other than the influenza virus.

Cold

Chilled by refrigeration or ice
Cold beer.

Flu

Influenza.
Catch flu
Get over the flu
Transmit flu

Cold

Feeling no warmth; uncomfortably chilled
We were cold sitting by the drafty windows.

Flu

(informal) Stomach flu.

Cold

Appearing to be dead; unconscious
Found him out cold on the floor.
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Flu

An acute febrile highly contagious viral disease

Cold

Dead
Was cold in his grave.

Cold

Lacking emotion; objective
Cold logic.

Cold

Having little appeal to the senses or feelings
A cold decor.

Cold

Designating or being in a tone or color, such as pale gray, that suggests little warmth.

Cold

Not affectionate or friendly; aloof
A cold person.
A cold nod.

Cold

Exhibiting or feeling no enthusiasm
A cold audience.
A cold response to the new play.
A concert that left me cold.

Cold

Devoid of sexual desire; frigid.

Cold

Having lost all freshness or vividness through passage of time
Dogs attempting to catch a cold scent.

Cold

So intense as to be almost uncontrollable
Cold fury.

Cold

Characterized by repeated failure, especially in a sport or competitive activity
The team fell into a slump of cold shooting.

Cold

To an unqualified degree; totally
Was cold sober.

Cold

With complete finality
We turned him down cold.

Cold

Without advance preparation or introduction
Took the exam cold and passed.
Walked in cold and got the new job.

Cold

Relative lack of warmth
Cold slows down chemical reactions.

Cold

The sensation resulting from lack of warmth; chill.

Cold

A condition of low air temperature; cold weather
Went out into the cold and got a chill.

Cold

A viral infection characterized by inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the upper respiratory passages and usually accompanied by malaise, fever, chills, coughing, and sneezing. Also called common cold, coryza.

Cold

(of a thing) Having a low temperature.
A cold wind whistled through the trees.

Cold

(of the weather) Causing the air to be cold.
The forecast is that it will be very cold today.

Cold

(of a person or animal) Feeling the sensation of coldness, especially to the point of discomfort.
She was so cold she was shivering.

Cold

Unfriendly; emotionally distant or unfeeling.
She shot me a cold glance before turning her back.

Cold

Dispassionate; not prejudiced or partisan; impartial.
Let's look at this tomorrow with a cold head.
He's a nice guy, but the cold facts say we should fire him.
The cold truth is that states rarely undertake military action unless their national interests are at stake.

Cold

Completely unprepared; without introduction.
He was assigned cold calls for the first three months.

Cold

Unconscious or deeply asleep; deprived of the metaphorical heat associated with life or consciousness.
I knocked him out cold.
After one more beer he passed out cold.

Cold

(usually with "have" or "know" transitively) Perfectly, exactly, completely; by heart; down pat.
Practice your music scales until you know them cold.
Try both these maneuvers until you have them cold and can do them in the dark without thinking.
Rehearse your lines until you have them down cold.
Keep that list in front of you, or memorize it cold.

Cold

(usually with "have" transitively) Cornered; done for.
With that receipt, we have them cold for fraud.
Criminal interrogation. Initially they will dream up explanations faster than you could ever do so, but when they become fatigued, often they will acknowledge that you have them cold.

Cold

(obsolete) Not pungent or acrid.

Cold

(obsolete) Unexciting; dull; uninteresting.

Cold

Affecting the sense of smell (as of hunting dogs) only feebly; having lost its odour.
A cold scent

Cold

(obsolete) Not sensitive; not acute.

Cold

Distant; said, in the game of hunting for some object, of a seeker remote from the thing concealed. Compare warm and hot.
You're cold … getting warmer … hot! You've found it!

Cold

(painting) Having a bluish effect; not warm in colour.

Cold

(databases) Rarely used or accessed, and thus able to be relegated to slower storage.

Cold

(informal) Without compassion; heartless; ruthless.
I can't believe she said that...that was cold!

Cold

(informal) Not radioactive.

Cold

(firearm) Not loaded with a round of live ammunition.

Cold

Without electrical power being supplied.

Cold

A condition of low temperature.
Come in, out of the cold.

Cold

A harsh place; a place of abandonment.
The former politician was left out in the cold after his friends deserted him.

Cold

(medicine) A common, usually harmless, viral illness, usually with congestion of the nasal passages and sometimes fever.
I caught a miserable cold and had to stay home for a week

Cold

(slang) rheum, sleepy dust

Cold

At a low temperature.
The steel was processed cold.

Cold

Without preparation.
The speaker went in cold and floundered for a topic.

Cold

In a cold, frank, or realistically honest manner.

Cold

Deprived of heat, or having a low temperature; not warm or hot; gelid; frigid.

Cold

Lacking the sensation of warmth; suffering from the absence of heat; chilly; shivering; as, to be cold.

Cold

Not pungent or acrid.

Cold

Wanting in ardor, intensity, warmth, zeal, or passion; spiritless; unconcerned; reserved.
A cold and unconcerned spectator.
No cold relation is a zealous citizen.

Cold

Unwelcome; disagreeable; unsatisfactory.

Cold

Wanting in power to excite; dull; uninteresting.
What a deal of cold business doth a man misspend the better part of life in!
The jest grows cold . . . when in comes on in a second scene.

Cold

Affecting the sense of smell (as of hunting dogs) but feebly; having lost its odor; as, a cold scent.

Cold

Not sensitive; not acute.
Smell this business with a sense as coldAs is a dead man's nose.

Cold

Distant; - said, in the game of hunting for some object, of a seeker remote from the thing concealed.

Cold

Having a bluish effect. Cf. Warm, 8.
He was slain in cold blood after the fight was over.

Cold

The relative absence of heat or warmth.

Cold

The sensation produced by the escape of heat; chilliness or chillness.
When she saw her lord prepared to part,A deadly cold ran shivering to her heart.

Cold

A morbid state of the animal system produced by exposure to cold or dampness; a catarrh.

Cold

To become cold.

Cold

A mild viral infection involving the nose and respiratory passages (but not the lungs);
Will they never find a cure for the common cold?

Cold

The absence of heat;
The coldness made our breath visible
Come in out of the cold
Cold is a vasoconstrictor

Cold

The sensation produced by low temperatures;
He shivered from the cold
The cold helped clear his head

Cold

Used of physical coldness; having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration;
A cold climate
A cold room
Dinner has gotten cold
Cold fingers
If you are cold, turn up the heat
A cold beer

Cold

Extended meanings; especially of psychological coldness; without human warmth or emotion;
A cold unfriendly nod
A cold and unaffectionate person
A cold impersonal manner
Cold logic
The concert left me cold

Cold

Having lost freshness through passage of time;
A cold trail
Dogs attempting to catch a cold scent

Cold

(color) giving no sensation of warmth;
A cold bluish gray

Cold

Marked by errorless familiarity;
Had her lines cold before rehearsals started

Cold

No longer new; uninteresting;
Cold (or stale) news

Cold

So intense as to be almost uncontrollable;
Cold fury gripped him

Cold

Sexually unresponsive;
Was cold to his advances
A frigid woman

Cold

Without compunction or human feeling;
In cold blood
Cold-blooded killing
Insensate destruction

Cold

Feeling or showing no enthusiasm;
A cold audience
A cold response to the new play

Cold

Unconscious from a blow or shock or intoxication;
The boxer was out cold
Pass out cold

Cold

Of a seeker; far from the object sought

Cold

Lacking the warmth of life;
Cold in his grave

What is Cold?

Cold is a common infection of the nose and throat. This primarily affects the nose. Coughing, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, and fever are apparent symptoms of cold. It usually lasts to seven to ten days. However, some symptoms of cold lasts up to three weeks. Over 200 virus strains are the reason behind cold in which ‘rhinoviruses’ are the most common. Common cold mostly affects the nose than throat, and sinuses and sometimes affects both eyes as well via conjunctivitis. The basic reason behind cold is the resistant response to the infection instead of tissue destruction by the viruses themselves.

Wha is Flu?

Flu is also a common but serious kind of infection of the upper body. It is caused by ‘influenza virus’. It can be range from mild to severe. High fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache, coughing, and feeling fatigue are common symptoms of flu. These symptoms exposed after two days of exposure of virus and mostly last than a week. However, cough may last for over two weeks. There may be nausea and vomiting in children but these are not common in adults. Flu can be occur because of previous bad health such as heart failure or asthma. Flu virus is usually spread through air or if a person touch any surface infected by virus and then touch his mouth or eyes.

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