freezer

American  

[free-zer] / ˈfri zər /

noun

freezers plural

1. a refrigerator, refrigerator compartment, cabinet, or room held at or below 32°F (0°C), used especially for preserving and storing food.

2. a machine containing cold brine, ice, etc., for making ice cream, sherbet, or the like.

3. a person or thing that freezes or chills.

---

freezer British  

/ ˈfriːzə /

noun

1. Also called: deepfreeze.  a device that freezes or chills, esp an insulated cold-storage cabinet for long-term storage of perishable foodstuffs

2. a former name for refrigerator

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• freezers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of freezer

First recorded in 1835–45; freeze + -er ¹

Explanation

A freezer is an appliance that keeps food frozen at extremely low temperatures. A household freezer is usually built into a refrigerator. It's where you keep your ice cream and ice cubes. The freezer is where you keep ice cubes and frozen peas — it's a compartment at the top (or bottom) of the refrigerator in your kitchen. Larger freezers are used to keep enough food for a long period of time, or so a restaurant, hotel, or school cafeteria can store leftover food or keep enough to cook for a crowd of people. The word freezer was coined in 1847, although it originally meant part of an ice cream maker.

Example Sentences

The freezer, meanwhile, sits there humming in the corner like a practical aunt with a Costco card and an unusually good memory.

From Salon • Jul. 11, 2026

It is a freezer with a point of view.

From Salon • Jul. 11, 2026

Keep some in the freezer to remake this salad on a whim all summer long.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

The first was practical: I was looking for any excuse to open my freezer for a blast of cold air, and this recipe offered plenty.

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2026

The one with check the freezer was on my pillow when I got home from school.

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner

Related Words

• cooler
• refrigerator