A '''cold''' is a minor illness caused by viruses. It got its name from the belief (held in previous centuries) that exposure to cold or rainy weather could make you "catch cold". This was a major plot element in the {{years ago|1810}}-year-old novel [[Pride and Prejudice]], but it is not based on science.<ref>There is no evidence that you can get a cold from exposure to cold weather or from getting chilled or overheated. [http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/common_cold_causes]</ref><ref>... during cold-weather months people spend more time indoors in close proximity to each other, thus facilitating the spread of the virus. [http://www.medicinenet.com/common_cold/article.htm#4doesit]</ref><ref>Eskimos and Lapps are not catching cold all the time, while Africans are not immune to it.</ref>