Meaning
An itchy purple red inflammation of the skin, especially of the hands, feet and ears, occurring when capillaries below the skin are damaged by exposure to cold weather (but do not freeze, which would lead to frostbite instead).
Etymology
Origin: Unknown
From chill + blain, literally “cold sore”.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2025.