What does refrigerator mean?
A refrigerator is an insulated appliance or storage space that keeps food and other items cold. In most homes, it consists of a refrigerator compartment, maintained above freezing, and a freezer compartment, maintained below it. People commonly shorten the word to “fridge,” especially in informal speech. The appliance became a familiar part of modern domestic life during the twentieth century as electric refrigeration spread and household food storage became safer and more convenient. Today, refrigerators are standard kitchen equipment, and the word also refers more broadly to commercial storage rooms or display units for medicines, drinks, and perishable goods. When used technically, the term may mean the entire appliance; in ordinary conversation, it often means just the section used to keep food cool rather than frozen.
nounA cabinet or room with a cooled interior, used to keep food and other perishable items at a low temperature. In everyday use, it usually refers to an electric household appliance with a refrigerator compartment and often a separate freezer.
- An insulated household appliance or cabinet for keeping food and other items cold.
- By extension, a refrigerated room or compartment used to store perishable goods.
"She put the milk back in the refrigerator before leaving for work."
"The refrigerator is stocked with vegetables, fruit, and leftovers."
"Wine is stored in a temperature-controlled refrigerator before bottling."
The plural is used when referring to multiple appliances or storage units.
"The kitchen has two refrigerators, one for drinks and one for food."
Before electric refrigerators became ordinary household appliances, people kept food cool with icehouses, insulated iceboxes, and chilled storage rooms.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does refrigerator come from?
The word “refrigerator” was formed in the nineteenth century from “refrigerate,” a term derived from the Latin root meaning to make or keep cold, together with the noun-forming suffix “-or.” “Refrigerate” itself developed from the French “réfrigérer” and the Latin “refrigerare,” formed from re- and frigere, “to cool.” The related forms “refrigeration,” “refrigerated,” and “refrigerating” share this history, while the shorter informal “fridge” developed as a reduction of the modern word.
Related word forms
How refrigerator is actually used
In everyday English, “fridge” is generally more common than “refrigerator.” The term can refer to the complete appliance or specifically to its chilled food-storage section, depending on context.
Easily confused with refrigerator
A refrigerator is the full name for the appliance, while a fridge is the usual informal term for its food-storage compartment or for the appliance as a whole.
A refrigerator cools food for short- to medium-term storage, whereas a freezer keeps items frozen solid for longer periods.