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Synonyms

reefer

1 American  
[ree-fer] / ˈri fər /

noun

  1. Nautical. a person who reefs.

  2. a short, close-fitting coat or jacket of thick cloth, similar to a pea jacket.

  3. a woman's tailored, fitted, single- or double-breasted coat of durable material with a collar.

reefer 2 American  
[ree-fer] / ˈri fər /

noun

Slang.

  1. a marijuana cigarette.

reefer 3 American  
[ree-fer] / ˈri fər /

noun

Informal.

  1. a refrigerator, especially one large enough to be walked into.

  2. a refrigerator car, ship, truck, etc.

reefer 1 British  
/ ˈriːfə /

noun

  1. nautical a person who reefs, such as a midshipman

  2. another name for reefing jacket

  3. slang a hand-rolled cigarette, esp one containing cannabis

"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
reefer 2 British  
/ ˈriːfə /

noun

  1. a ship, lorry, or other form of transport designed to carry refrigerated cargo

"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 reefer1

First recorded in 1800–10; reef 2 + -er 1

Origin of reefer2

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; origin uncertain; possibly from Mexican Spanish slang grifo, grifa “under the influence of marijuana”; griefo

Origin of reefer3

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; alteration and shortening of refrigerator

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.

Moller Maersk, the world’s no.1 container shipping line, said it has an agreement with COVAXX, a division of U.S. private group United Biomedical, to move the vaccine in specialised refrigerated reefer containers.

From Reuters • Dec. 18, 2020

The fleet includes fishing boats and refrigerated container – or reefer – ships to store enormous catches.

From The Guardian • Aug. 6, 2020

The union said most other reefer jobs at West Coast ports were being handled by the I.L.W.U.

From New York Times • Nov. 21, 2019

“For the growing middle class, basic food like rice is no longer enough,” said Eric Legros, head of reefer operations at French shipping giant CMA CGM.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2018

She was wearing a navy-blue reefer and a tam that was very nearly the same shade of red as the blanket on the bed in van Gogh’s room at Arles.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.