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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 9
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
The extremely small device combines a transmon qubit, a resonator and a quantum refrigerator.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
He takes vials from his refrigerator of GHK-Cu, which he tells AFP will give him "beautiful skin", and Retatrutide, which will help him "feel less hungry".
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
In the street, a refrigerator missing a door was on its back, overflowing with garbage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Joshua Davis, a concierge stylist and PS member in Atlanta, appreciates the company’s small touches, like the refrigerator filled with bottled matcha, juices and water waiting just past security.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
I think about the Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes on top of Sneaky’s refrigerator and wish the boxes could magically transport to our table.
From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist
Slow home sales hurt appliance manufacturers because people typically buy expensive refrigerators and washing machines when they are moving or remodeling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Electrolux, which makes Frigidaire brand refrigerators, has lost market share in the home appliance industry over time to Chinese firms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the easing of curbs on a group of powerful greenhouse gases commonly found in refrigerators and air conditioners.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
In the move Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency extends the deadline for companies to comply with a 2023 rule transitioning refrigerators and air conditioners off HFCs and onto new cooling technologies.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
I half-crawl, half-run to the refrigerators and get a gallon for myself.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
