cooling tower

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.

cooling tower

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cooling tower¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Buildings, especially skyscrapers, have their own heat peaks—all those central cooling towers and countless window AC units just dump the hot air onto the already-sweltering pavement.

From Nautilus

The plant can use cooling towers or wastewater to remove heat.

From Singularity Hub