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

Investigators found high levels of Legionella bacteria in a cooling tower at what was then the Embassy Suites Napa Valley on California Boulevard, Napa County health officials said.

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

Hence, either a condensing water pond or a cooling tower has to be provided to cool the condensing water and enable it to be used over and over again.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various