water cooler

American  

noun

1. a container for holding drinking water that is cooled and drawn off by a faucet or spigot.

2. a drinking fountain in which water is cooled by mechanical refrigeration.

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water cooler British  

noun

1. a device for cooling and dispensing drinking water

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1. informal

   1. indicating the kind of informal conversation among office staff that takes place at such a dispenser

      water-cooler conversations

   2. indicating an event, television programme, etc, sufficiently controversial or otherwise noteworthy to provide subject matter for such conversations

      water-cooler television

      a water-cooler moment

Etymology

Origin of water cooler

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

People claiming to know Rana—from school, work and dating in New York—swapped stories at the online water cooler.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Standing awkwardly on the outside of someone else’s water cooler.

From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026

Shipka got her start when she was just 6 years old on “Mad Men,” a series filled with the kind of jaw-dropping sequences made for water cooler conversation.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026

Martin books call the closing event in Sunday’s episode of “House of the Dragon” — is likely to be a major Westeros water cooler moment.

From New York Times • Jun. 17, 2024

In the kitchen, fresh grapefruit slices float in a water cooler.

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson

Related Words

• water fountain