cooling tower

American  

noun

Energy.

1. a usually cylindrical structure, sometimes of very great size, in which heat is extracted from water that has been used for cooling, as in a nuclear reactor.

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cooling tower British  

noun

1. a tall hollow structure in which steam is condensed or water that is used as a coolant in some industrial process is allowed to cool for reuse by trickling down a surface

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Etymology

Origin of cooling tower

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cooling tower

In the distance, somewhat grayed by atmospheric haze, are the smokestacks and cooling tower of the power plant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Chillers circulate water or another coolant through pipes to absorb heat, then transfer it to a cooling tower or other system to remove it.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026

Remi shuffled to her feet, or tried to; the earthquake knocked her backward into a cooling tower.

From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2024

Jacomowitz said Amsterdam Nursing Home’s cooling tower was cleaned prior to start-up in the spring and tested according to the city’s rules.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2022

Approximately 34 feet was the static head of water to be pumped over No. 2 cooling tower.

From Steam Turbines A Book of Instruction for the Adjustment and Operation of the Principal Types of this Class of Prime Movers by Collins, Hubert E. (Hubert Edwin)