Final answer:
The Cold War refers to the ideological, political, and military rivalry between the US and USSR that avoided direct armed conflict, characterized by nuclear arms races, proxy wars, and propaganda.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term Cold War refers to the decades-long geopolitical tension and rivalry that developed between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) after World War II. This period was characterized by the absence of direct military confrontation, known as a "hot" war, between the superpowers, given the catastrophic potential outcome of nuclear conflict, often referred to as Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.). Instead, the Cold War was marked by an arms race, including the stockpiling of nuclear weapons, espionage, political intrigue, propaganda, technological competition, and proxy wars in other countries. This complex standoff was primarily an ideological battle between the capitalistic democracy championed by the US and the communist system advocated by the USSR.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question 'What was the term Cold War referring to?' is A. The U.S and the U.S.S.R were at the point of war, without there being an actual war.