warm-blooded
|warm-blood-ed|
🇺🇸
/ˌwɔrmˈblʌdɪd/
🇬🇧
/ˌwɔːmˈblʌdɪd/
internally warm / body-heat regulated
Etymology
'warm-blooded' is English in origin, formed from the adjective 'warm' and the noun 'blood' with the adjectival suffix '-ed'; 'warm' comes from Old English 'wearm' meaning 'warm', and 'blood' comes from Old English 'blōd' meaning 'blood'.
'warm-blooded' developed in Early Modern English by combining existing English elements ('warm' + 'blood' + '-ed') to describe animals with internally regulated body heat; the zoological sense became common in scientific use from the 18th–19th centuries.
Originally a literal compound describing 'having warm blood'; over time it retained that biological sense and also gained a figurative sense meaning 'passionate' or 'emotionally warm'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an animal that is warm-blooded; a warm-blooded creature.
In the exhibit, the warm-bloodeds were kept in climate-controlled enclosures.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 1
having a body temperature that is regulated and kept fairly constant internally (biological: endothermic).
Most mammals and birds are warm-blooded.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 2
passionate, emotional, or lively in temperament (figurative).
She's warm-blooded and responds quickly when excited.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/04 11:53