refrigerator
Americannoun
-
a box, room, or cabinet in which food, drink, etc., are kept cool by means of ice or mechanical refrigeration.
-
the part of a distilling apparatus that cools the volatile material, causing it to condense; condenser; rectifier.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of refrigerator
First recorded in 1605–15; refrigerate + -or 2
Explanation
A refrigerator is a kitchen appliance where you can store your perishable food at a cool temperature. You should store your milk and meat in the refrigerator to keep them from spoiling. The term refrigerator is often shortened to fridge, and because of this, people often mistakenly try to spell refrigerator with a d. Refrigerators come in all sizes, from a small cube that is often used in college dorm rooms by students trying to keep a six-pack of soda cool, to a huge walk-in refrigerator that might be used at a restaurant to cool all the ingredients for the week's meals.
Vocabulary lists containing refrigerator
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 9
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They played in Ruth's Refrigerator together in the 1990s and also in a band called The Verinos, which formed a couple of years ago and was the first Unglamorous band.
From BBC • Oct. 25, 2023
"Because of the oil in the bran layer, this rice has a shelf life of approximately six months. Refrigerator or freezer storage is recommended for longer shelf life," says the group.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2022
Refrigerator thawing is the only defrosting method after which you can safely refreeze the raw food, though you may experience a loss of quality.
From Washington Post • Jan. 8, 2021
The same thing happens when Mommy asks Refrigerator for spices.
From The Verge • Sep. 1, 2018
Refrigerator Door Boy, sealed forever to stay fresh.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
