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Showing results for reefer. Search instead for reefers'.
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.

Chinese fishing practices first caught the attention of Ecuador in 2017 when its navy seized the Chinese reefer Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 within the Galápagos marine reserve.

From The Guardian • Aug. 6, 2020

“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

Pelayo suspects the vessel is a “mothership,” or reefer, which collects fish from smaller fishing boats, allowing them to stay out at sea longer.

From National Geographic • Aug. 15, 2017

Decades later, my life experiences taught me the true danger to America's moral fiber is usually not in things like Rock'n'Roll, D&D, reefer madness, or even gay marriage.

From New York Times • Apr. 17, 2016

There was silence while everybody checked their mirrors for a Peterbilt with a reefer.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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.