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refrigerator

American  
[ri-frij-uh-rey-ter] / rɪˈfrɪdʒ əˌreɪ tər /

noun

  1. a box, room, or cabinet in which food, drink, etc., are kept cool by means of ice or mechanical refrigeration.

  2. the part of a distilling apparatus that cools the volatile material, causing it to condense; condenser; rectifier.

refrigerator British  
/ rɪˈfrɪdʒəˌreɪtə /

noun

  1. Informal word: fridge.  a chamber in which food, drink, etc, are kept cool

"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 refrigerator

First recorded in 1605–15; refrigerate + -or 2

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.

They are often stored in the refrigerator, which spoils their texture and reduces their flavor, regardless of variety.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

"I need you to bring the refrigerator if you can bring it up. I need it for myself. I am ready for it. I am healed, this is a healed Wilder."

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

The crème anglaise can be made a couple of days ahead of time, too, and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The honey was left untouched in the refrigerator when he left.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

I want to tell her I saw her receipt to P.J.’s in the refrigerator, stuck to the empty carton of orange juice.

From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist

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.