Definition of frigid

The word "frigid" has its roots in Latin, where it was originally "frigidus". In Latin, "frigidus" referred to something that is very cold or frozen, deriving from the word "frigus" which meant cold or freezing. This meaning of the word persisted into Old French, where "frigid" took on the additional meaning of being barren or lacking in sexual desire. Over time, the meaning of "frigid" began to shift in English, due to the influence of Latin and French. In Middle English, "frigid" was used to describe cold and harsh climates, as well as cold, aloof or indifferent people. By the 17th century, "frigid" had also come to mean lacking in emotional warmth or affection. Today, the primary meaning of "frigid" in English is cold, either literally, as in describing a temperature, or metaphorically, as in describing a person who is emotionally distant or unmoved. However, the word's historical associations with sexual coldness are still evident in some contexts, such as in the term "frigid nurses" used by Margaret Atwood in her poem "The Edible Woman".