obtain a cold

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "obtain a cold" is not correct and not commonly used in written English.
It is typically intended to refer to catching a cold, which is an illness caused by a virus. Example: "After spending time in the rain without a jacket, I ended up obtaining a cold."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"Baedeker's London and Its Environs 1900" told readers, for instance, that the city's public baths were "chiefly for the working class who may obtain a cold bath for one penny".

The New Yorker

The re-imaging method was applied to obtain a cold stop efficiency of 100%, and the corrector lens in traditional Dyson imaging spectrometers was replaced with re-imaging lenses to correct spherical aberrations.

Optics Communications

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

To further examine the relationship between temperature response and hibernation, we obtained a mouse cold exposure dataset [GSE20645] [ 37], consisting of two groups (n = 4) of mouse oligodendrocyte precursor cells cultured at 31.5°C and 37°C, for 48 h.

BMC Genomics

The power system is also designed to obtain a cooling effect from the cold air (3 °C) at the outlet of the turbine, useful for the refrigeration of the telecommunications equipment.

Journal of Energy Storage

During the race to obtain a nuclear weapon during the Cold War, the Soviet Union experimented with a wide variety of nuclear materials.

Vice

In order to obtain a more reliable evaluation of cold damage, the same gemplasm panel was assessed for winter survival in the growing season 2007/8 at Fiorenzuola d'Arda (northern Italy), where it was again subjected to cold stress.

BMC Genomics

The radial density distributions were obtained in a cold flow riser unit simulating FCC riser reactor hydrodynamic performance.

Chemical Engineering Science

Aluminium nitride was obtained in a cold wall reactor using AlCl3 and NH3 as precursors and N2 as a carrier gas.

Surface and Coatings Technology

Mullite coatings (3Al2O3 2SiO2) were obtained in a cold wall reactor using aluminium trichloride, silicon tetrachloride and nitrous oxide as precursors with nitrogen and hydrogen as carrier gases.

Surface and Coatings Technology

Polysiloxane films obtained from a cold remote nitrogen plasma polymerization of 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxanew attractive properties and can be used for monomerplications.

Surface and Coatings Technology

Having obtained a list of candidate cold regions, we first determined the fraction of no calls (N's) in the reference genome sequence for a given interval and excluded those with >10% no calls.

Genetics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use more common and natural-sounding alternatives such as "catch a cold" or "come down with a cold" instead of "obtain a cold".

Common error

Avoid using overly formal or uncommon vocabulary when discussing everyday illnesses. Phrases like "catch a cold" are more appropriate than "obtain a cold".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "obtain a cold" functions as a verb phrase where "obtain" acts as a transitive verb, taking "a cold" as its direct object. However, Ludwig AI indicates it's not a commonly used phrase, suggesting alternatives are more suitable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

While "obtain a cold" is technically understandable, it's not a common or idiomatic way to express catching a cold. Ludwig AI highlights that alternative phrases like "catch a cold" or "come down with a cold" are more appropriate and natural-sounding. It's better to reserve "obtain" for situations involving acquiring tangible or abstract things rather than illnesses. The phrase tends to lean towards formal language, but because of its uncommon nature, it may be perceived as awkward or unnatural in many settings. Remember to avoid using overly formal or uncommon vocabulary when discussing everyday illnesses.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

catch a cold

Replaces "obtain" with the more common verb "catch", indicating acquiring the illness.

contract a cold

Uses "contract" as a more formal synonym for getting a cold.

come down with a cold

Expresses the onset of a cold, implying the initial symptoms.

get a cold

Simplifies the phrase using the more direct verb "get".

develop a cold

Suggests the gradual appearance of cold symptoms.

be infected with a cold

Highlights the infectious nature of a cold.

acquire a cold

Uses "acquire" as a more formal synonym of getting a cold, less common than "catch" or "get".

succumb to a cold

Implies a weaker state leading to catching a cold.

be struck down with a cold

Emphasizes the sudden and debilitating effect of catching a cold.

fall ill with a cold

Focuses on the illness aspect of catching a cold.

FAQs

What's a more common way to say "obtain a cold"?

Common alternatives include "catch a cold", "get a cold", or "come down with a cold".

Is "obtain a cold" grammatically correct?

While technically understandable, "obtain a cold" is not the most natural or idiomatic way to express catching a cold. It is better to use phrases like "catch a cold".

When is it appropriate to use "obtain"?

"Obtain" is generally used for acquiring something tangible or abstract, like "obtain information" or "obtain a result". For illnesses, use alternatives like "catch a cold".

What are some formal alternatives to "obtain a cold"?

While it's generally best to avoid being overly formal when talking about illnesses, you could use "contract a cold", but this is still less common than "catch a cold".