brain freeze
Americannoun
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Also called ice cream headache. a pain in the temples and forehead brought on by quickly consuming very cold food or drink.
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a temporary lapse in memory; a sudden mental block.
Etymology
Origin of brain freeze
First recorded in 1990–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Scotland midfielder McGinn scored his second goal of the game from distance after a brain freeze from Forest goalkeeper John Victor, who inexplicably charged out of his area.
From Barron's • Jan. 3, 2026
His second-innings dismissal, playing no shot to be lbw to Noman Ali, was the sort of brain freeze that comes after a whole box of ice pops.
From BBC • Nov. 30, 2024
Granted, it is about a scheme to remove Will’s brain, freeze it, and blast it into space at unprecedented speeds so it can be intercepted and studied by the San-Ti.
From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2024
This might help explain the ice cream headache and may also be the reason brain freeze can help stop a migraine.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 3, 2023
And that feels almost as bad as the brain freeze I suddenly get from the flavored ice.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
