cold turkey
noun, adverb, verb
Forms cold turkeys cold turkeying cold turkeyed
- noun (informal, idiomatic) A sudden and complete withdrawal from a dependent substance, especially a drug.
- noun The physiological effects of such a withdrawal.
- noun (US military slang, World War I– World War II) Something exposed as a target due to surmountable defense.
- adverb (idiomatic) Not gradually; all at once; referring especially to quitting a habit by force of will rather than by a gradual reduction. “It is difficult, but possible to quit smoking cold turkey.”
- verb (informal, intransitive) To undergo sudden and complete withdrawal from a dependent substance, especially a drug.
Synonyms
Etymology
Various explanations; see Cold turkey § Etymology on Wikipedia.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “cold turkey”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details