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

In October, the companies announced a deal to restart a NextEra nuclear reactor in Iowa that closed in 2020 following wind damage to a cooling tower.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

High levels of Legionella bacteria were found in a cooling tower at Embassy Suites Napa Valley, though none of the patients had visited the hotel.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 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

The test was made on No. 2 cooling tower, not shown in the sketch, and showed that barely 3000 gallons per minute were being delivered to the 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)