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fridge

American  
[frij] / frɪdʒ /

noun

Informal.
  1. a refrigerator.


fridge British  
/ frɪdʒ /

noun

  1. informal short for refrigerator

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fridge

1925–30; by shortening of refrigerator or Frigidaire

Explanation

Fridge is short for refrigerator, that giant kitchen appliance that keeps food cold. If you’re too hungry to say five syllables, just say you’re going to see what’s in the fridge. Although fridge is a little word, a fridge can be anything from a regular-sized refrigerator to one of those little mini-fridges that live in a dorm room or man cave. Fridge sounds like frigid, which means very cold. The colloquial fridge has been around since the mid-1920s, possibly inspired by the well-known refrigerator brand Frigidaire.

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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.

The scientists then reproduced the gut yeast in a fridge.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

Anyone want a drink?” one of the kids calls out as he opens the fridge at the Airbnb, stocked with yogurt, soda and pressed juices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

There are dishes in the sinks and food in the fridge, but a quick look outside at the blue skies and sunshine gives the game away - this is actually a TV set.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

I appreciate his ingenuity in saying the food in his fridge went bad due to the fallen limb, but it’s a stretch to get to $6,000.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

And when I said that, well, Hugo practically jumped out from behind the counter and leapt to the ice cream fridge.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

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