cold-water ordeal
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An ancient method of testing guilt or innocence. The accused, being tied under the arms, was thrown into a river.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “cold-water ordeal” mean?
An ancient method of testing guilt or innocence. The accused, being tied under the arms, was thrown into a river.
Is “cold-water ordeal” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.