refrigerator
Americannoun
-
refrigerators
plural
-
a box, room, or cabinet in which food, drink, etc., are kept cool by means of ice or mechanical refrigeration.
-
the part of a distilling apparatus that cools the volatile material, causing it to condense; condenser; rectifier.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of refrigerator
First recorded in 1605–15; refrigerate + -or 2
Explanation
A refrigerator is a kitchen appliance where you can store your perishable food at a cool temperature. You should store your milk and meat in the refrigerator to keep them from spoiling. The term refrigerator is often shortened to fridge, and because of this, people often mistakenly try to spell refrigerator with a d. Refrigerators come in all sizes, from a small cube that is often used in college dorm rooms by students trying to keep a six-pack of soda cool, to a huge walk-in refrigerator that might be used at a restaurant to cool all the ingredients for the week's meals.
Vocabulary lists containing refrigerator
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Unit 9
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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.
See Examples For:
For Kerr, that opportunity came between shifts refilling the refrigerator at 7-Eleven, when he played for the Reno Astros, a local semi-professional club.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Google’s prototype satellite is about the size of a refrigerator, the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
"I tried to lift everything up, but I gave up on large electric appliances like the refrigerator and washing machine. I guess they are broken."
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
When Mom needed a new refrigerator, I bought it and told her not to worry about paying me back.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
I shove the carrots back into the refrigerator.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
While most people have likely never heard of an actuator, they’re found across daily life — used in everything from smartphones and computers to refrigerators and cars, to convert power into motion.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
The units contained amenities including air conditioners, big-screen televisions, refrigerators, sofas and dining areas.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Smart ovens, refrigerators, and doorbells have all gotten the camera treatment, attempting to close the gaps of mystery in our daily lives.
From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026
Plug-in solar panels that can power refrigerators and other household appliances are getting more common.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
In that space, she floated swiftly like a bird between the gas stoves and ovens and walk-in refrigerators.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
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.
