refresher

American  

[ri-fresh-er] / rɪˈfrɛʃ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that refreshes.

2. British. a partial or interim fee paid to a lawyer during a prolonged case.

3. refresher course.

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refresher British  

/ rɪˈfrɛʃə /

noun

1. something that refreshes, such as a cold drink

2. English law a fee, additional to that marked on the brief, paid to counsel in a case that lasts more than a day

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Etymology

Origin of refresher

First recorded in 1375–1425, refresher is from the late Middle English word refressher. See refresh, -er ¹

Example Sentences

In workplaces everywhere, that refresher couldn’t come sooner.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Bern estimated it would double the cost of Switzerland's current militia system, which sees army conscripts do at least four months' service before being called up repeatedly over a decade for weeks-long refresher sessions.

From Barron's • Nov. 27, 2025

Persaud, an accountant and part-time driving instructor from Fort Lee, is giving me a tutorial—or rather a refresher course—on how to operate a manual transmission.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

If you're hearing these for the first time, or simply need a refresher, here are a few key terms and what they mean.

From BBC • Jul. 14, 2025

I hadn’t read any Dzongkha since my freshman year, so I needed a refresher, and I wanted to see a map of Bhutan’s cities, too.

From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson