Noticeably cold; having a low temperature or causing one to feel cold.
From 'chill' plus suffix '-y', first recorded in the 1560s. 'Chill' comes from Old English ciele meaning 'cold, coolness'. The word developed from describing temperature to describing unfriendly attitudes or atmospheres.
English has a remarkably nuanced vocabulary for cold temperatures - chilly suggests mild discomfort while frigid implies extreme cold. This precision reflects the importance of weather in a maritime climate where subtle temperature differences matter greatly.
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