cooler

noun

cool·​er ˈkü-lər 

1

: one that cools: such as

a

: a container for cooling liquids

b

: refrigerator

2

: lockup, jail

especially : a cell for violent or unmanageable prisoners

3

: an iced drink usually with an alcoholic beverage as a base

Synonyms

• penitentiary
• jail
• prison

Examples of cooler in a Sentence

The sodas are in the cooler.

plea-bargained to avoid spending time in the cooler

Recent Examples on the Web

Photograph: Amazon LifeStraw Personal Water Filter $17 $10 (41% off) Amazon Camping water, and outdoor water, is often gross water—sitting too long in the cooler with pine needles for some reason, running free in the outdoors but maybe unsafe, or pulled from spigots of unknown plumbing. —Simon Hill, Wired News, 12 July 2025

You’re already loaded down with beach bags, umbrellas, coolers, sand toys, and more—and hauling all of that across the sand is notoriously difficult. —Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 12 July 2025

The fishing details include a front rod holder, a rear rack with four more rod holders, an Orca 58-quart cooler, a two-section fishing bench seat, and seven-inch Garmin chartplotter and fish finder. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 11 July 2025

The team hand counted each tadpole then placed them in specialized coolers, each containing about 1,500 tadpoles. —Miami Herald, 10 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

cool entry 2 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cooler

• cooler heads prevail
• the cooler
• wine cooler

Rhymes for cooler

• jeweller
• ruler
• schooler
• schuller
• preschooler
• vestibular

Kids Definition

cooler

noun

cool·​er ˈkü-lər 

: a container for keeping food or drink cool