Etymology
Advertisement

refrigerator (n.)

1610s, "something that cools, that which keeps cool," agent noun from refrigerate. As "cabinet or chamber for keeping food or other contents cooled to a little above freezing," 1824, originally in the brewery trade, in place of earlier refrigeratory (c. 1600). Electric-powered household refrigerating and ice machines were widely available from c. 1918.

Entries linking to refrigerator

refrigerate (v.)

1530s, "to cool, make cool," a back-formation from refrigeration, or else from Latin refrigeratus, past participle of refrigerare "make cool or cold." Related: Refrigerated; refrigerating. Earlier words in the sense of "to make cold, to cool" were infrigiden, infrigidate (both early 15c.). Middle English had refroiden "to cool" (anger), mid-15c., from Old French refroider.

fridge (n.)
shortened and altered form of refrigerator, 1926, an unusual way of word-formation in English; perhaps influenced by Frigidaire (1919), name of a popular early brand of self-contained automatically operated iceless refrigerator (Frigidaire Corporation, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.), a name suggesting Latin frigidarium "a cooling room in a bath." Frigerator as a colloquial shortening is attested by 1886.

Others are reading

Advertisement
Advertisement
Definitions of refrigerator

refrigerator (n.)
white goods in which food can be stored at low temperatures;
Synonyms: icebox
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near refrigerator

refreshing

refreshment

refrigerant

refrigerate

refrigeration

refrigerator

refry

reft

refuel

refuge

refugee

© 2001-2022 Douglas Harper