warm-blooded

American  

[wawrm-bluhd-id] / ˈwɔrmˈblʌd ɪd /

adjective

1. Also designating or pertaining to animals, as mammals and birds, whose blood ranges in temperatures from about 98° to 112°F (37° to 44°C) and remains relatively constant, irrespective of the temperature of the surrounding medium; homoiothermal.

2. ardent, impetuous, or passionate.

   young and warm-blooded valor.

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warm-blooded British  

adjective

1. ardent, impetuous, or passionate

2. Technical name: homoiothermic.  (of birds and mammals) having a constant body temperature, usually higher than the temperature of the surroundings

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warm-blooded Scientific  

/ wôrm′blŭd′ĭd /

1. Having a relatively warm body temperature that stays about the same regardless of changes in the temperature of the surroundings. Birds and mammals are warm-blooded.

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Other Word Forms

• warm-bloodedness noun

Etymology

Origin of warm-blooded

First recorded in 1785–95

Compare meaning

How does warm-blooded compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• warm-blooded vs. cold-blooded

Explanation

A warm-blooded animal can keep its body temperature higher (or lower) than the environment around it. Humans, crows, and cats are all warm-blooded; spiders, snakes, and goldfish are not. The more scientific term for a warm-blooded animal is an endotherm, or an animal that uses its metabolism to regulate its body temperature. If you take your temperature while standing in the snow, it will be nearly the same as when you're hanging out on the beach in the summer — because you're a warm-blooded endotherm. Animals that don't fall into this category, like reptiles and insects, are cold-blooded, also known as ectotherms.

Example Sentences

Global warming is a big challenge for warm-blooded animals, which must maintain a constant body temperature to prevent their bodies from overheating.

From BBC • May 21, 2025

As a warm-blooded millennial woman who spent much of the early aughts roaming the expanses of suburban Ohio shopping malls, I have been hardwired to love a bargain.

From Slate • Mar. 1, 2025

Sounds like the makings of a joke, but when the waters start to rise, this simple, wordless tale deepens into a warm-blooded epic about teamwork and survival.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2025

According to the report, ectotherms, or cold-blooded animals, are approximately 90% more energy efficient than warm-blooded animals and, in the context of agriculture, “this energy differential readily translates into a potential for higher production efficiency.”

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2024

A Big Bang had occurred, originating at the bridge of her nose, and the force of this explosion had sent galaxies of freckles hurtling and drifting to every end of her curved, warm-blooded universe.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides