ˌcold ˈwar noun [singular, uncountable]

1. an unfriendly political relationship between two countries who do not actually fight each other

2. the Cold War the unfriendly relationship between the US and the Soviet Union after the Second World War

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

cold war
n. A struggle that is carried on by other means and not by actual fighting; a war without shooting or bombing.
After World War II, a cold war began between Russia and the United States.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲