A Scottish word meaning cold, chilly, or feeling the cold easily; also used metaphorically to describe coldness in manner or disposition.
Scots compound from 'cauld' (cold) + 'rife' (ridden, affected by). This vivid Scottish adjective literally means 'riding/affected by cold' and dates back centuries in Highland and Lowland Scots dialects.
This Scottish word is so beautifully specific—it doesn't just mean cold temperature, it means you're the kind of person who feels cold easily, like cold 'rides' through your body. Scottish has tons of these emotionally precise words that English lost!
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