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cold turkey
noun Informal.
Idiom1.
abrupt and complete withdrawal from the use of an addictive substance, as a narcotic drug, alcohol, or tobacco.
2.
go cold turkey,
a.
to stop using an addictive substance abruptly and completely.
b.
to undergo sudden and complete withdrawal from a habitual activity or behavior pattern.
c.
to begin or do something without planning, preparation, or practice.
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Cold-turkey
is always a great word to know.
So is choirboy. Does it mean:
| not working, completely messed up, bungled, confused |
| a person who is notably honest, moral, or innocent |
Origin:
1915–20, Americanism; probably from the phrase to talk cold turkey to speak bluntly about something unpleasant, variant of to talk turkey; see turkey
1915–20, Americanism; probably from the phrase to talk cold turkey to speak bluntly about something unpleasant, variant of to talk turkey; see turkey
Dictionary.com Unabridged
verb (used with object)
1.
to withdraw from (an addictive substance or a habit) abruptly and completely.
verb (used without object)
2.
to withdraw from an addictive substance or a habit abruptly and completely.
adjective
3.
abrupt and complete: cold-turkey withdrawal from drugs.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To cold-turkey
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
cold turkey
"without preparation," 1910; narrower sense of "withdrawal from an addictive substance" (originally heroin) first recorded 1921. Cold turkey is a food that requires little preparation, so "to quit like cold turkey" is to do so suddenly and without preparation.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
cold turkey definition
To “go cold turkey” is to withdraw suddenly and completely from an addictive substance or some other form of dependency: “Many people who attempt to quit smoking do so by going cold turkey rather than by gradually cutting down.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
cold turkey definition
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Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Dynamo Rating For Cold-turkey
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
