coolness

Noun

coolness (usually uncountable, plural coolnesses)

1. (usually) Moderate chilliness.
   • I know a place of all sweet coolnesses; / a little island, like an emerald, set / in the clear argent of a river, that is / Itself a shining net1883, Emily Sullivan Oakey, In the Heat., in At the Foot of Parnassus, page 97
   • Surely there is between human kind and trees a kinship immemorial, antedating the fret and fever of the nerves, bringing old coolnesses to serve as refuge, making us know the time when spring was no torment, autumn no regret.1917, Margaret Pollock Sherwood, “The Comradship of Trees”, in Familiar Ways, section III, page 135
2. (usually) Calmness, confidence, or level-headedness.
   • De Coude was the personification of coolness—was he not the best shot in France?1913 June–December, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “A Duel”, in The Return of Tarzan, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, […], published March 1915, →OCLC, page 78
   • Luckily for England, they have a world-class striker with a golden touch in [Harry] Kane, who was coolness personified to carefully direct in the winner.2018 June 18, Phil McNulty, “Tunisia 1 – 2 England”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 21 Apr 2019
3. (countable, dated, usually) Conflict or hostility or an instance of such that stands in contrast to expected friendliness or interest.
   • In the midst of enemies, Irish and English, Court treacheries and coolnesses, Strafford depended solely upon Laud, and no one other support.1892, James Bowling Mozley, “Archbishop Laud.”, in Essays, Historical and Theological, volume 1, page 201
   • "These things are certainly very annoying," said Belinda. "I've often experienced similar affairs. But, in my case, no doubt they were explainable. My tongue does run away with me sometimes," she concluded, with an engaging smile. I laughed. Belinda and her friends and coolnesses were a standing...1907 September, “Cosy Corner Chats”, in Pictorial Comedy: The Humorous Phases of Life Depicted by Eminent Artists., volume XVII, number 6, What Ought to be Done?, page 32 (page 252 in the collected...
4. (usually) Indifference or an instance of indifference; lack of friendliness or interest not necessarily rising to hostility.
   • A regulatory backstop would still be needed, however, because the problem can cut both ways – that is, the utility can also exhibit coolness toward aspects of water conservation. In Kingston, members of [the] local council felt that they lacked sufficient influence over the utility (a municipal...2016, Kathryn Furlong, “ASD and the Goal of Efficiency” (chapter 6), in Leaky Governance: Alternative Service Delivery and the Myth of Water Utility Independence, page 123
5. (often, slang, usually) Social advantage or enviability, typically due to traits like popularity, confidence, skill, or fashion.
   • When I argue that Beverly Hills, 90210 makes use of 'An Americana Cool,' then I mean to propose that the show makes use of a wide variety of culturally codified coolness(es) that is/are anchored in a mainstream American symbology, in an Americana of patterned American styles, gestures, and codes.2014, Susanne Hamscha, “Coolness Has A Number: The 'Americana Cool' of Beverly Hills, 90210”, in Astrid M. Fellner, Susanne Hamscha, Klaus Heissenberger, Jennifer J* Moos, editors, Is It 'Cause It's...