gelidus, a, um (archaic gen. fem. sing. gelidai aquai, Lucr. 3, 693), adj. gelu, icy cold, very cold, icy, frosty (a higher degree than frigidus; cf. also: algidus, rigidus, glacialis). Lit.: (Fibrenus) statim praecipitat in Lirem ... eumque multo gelidiorem facit, Cic. Leg. 2, 3, 6: caelum est hieme frigidum et gelidum, cold and frosty, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 4: aqua, Lucr. 3, 693: aquam gelidam bibere, Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 31; cf.: gelidissimae aquae, Plin. 31, 2, 6, § 10: fontium gelidae perennitates, Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 98: fluvii, Lucr. 6, 1172: nives, id. 6, 107: pruina, id. 2, 431; 515; Verg. G. 2, 263: loca gelida propinquitate Tauri montis, Liv. 38, 27, 9: nemus, Hor. C. 1, 1, 30: valles, Verg. G. 2, 488: rupes, id. A. 8, 343: Haemus, Hor. C. 1, 12, 6: Algidus, id. ib. 1, 21, 6: Scythes, id. ib. 4, 5, 25: saxum, Lucr. 3, 892: umbrae frigoris, id. 5, 641: nox, Verg. G. 1, 287; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 169: aether, Verg. A. 8, 28: December, Ov. Tr. 1, 11, 3: foci, i. e. never kindled, id. F. 3, 28: tyrannus (i. e. Boreas), id. M. 6, 711.

— Subst.: gelida, ae, f. (sc. aqua), water cold as ice (like frigida; cf. calida or calda, warm water): foribusque repulsum Perfundit gelida, Hor. S. 2, 7, 91: calidae gelidaeque minister; Juv. 5, 63.

— In partic., icy cold, cold, stiff with death, old age, or fright (poet., like frigidus): (Niobe) corporibus gelidis incumbit, Ov. M. 6, 277: artus, id. ib. 4, 247; 6, 249: vultus, id. ib. 4, 141: gelidus tardante senecta Sanguis hebet, Verg. A. 5, 395: et gelidum subito frigore pectus erat, Ov. F. 1, 98; so, pavidus gelidusque, id. M. 3, 688; cf. id. ib. 10, 423.

—Hence also transf., of death, fright, etc.: gelidi vestigia leti, Lucr. 3, 530: mors, Hor. C. 2, 8, 11; Ov. M. 15, 153: metus, id. H. 11, 82; cf. formido, id. M. 2, 200: horror, id. H. 16, 67: terror, id. M. 3, 100: tremor, Verg. A. 2, 120: pallor, Ov. Tr. 1, 4, 11.

—Adv.: gelide (like frigide, I.), coldly, faintly, indolently, ψυχρῶς: quod res omnes timide gelideque ministrat, Hor. A. P. 171.