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

The reach-in coolers weren’t keeping food at a safe temperature, the spokesperson said. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2025

The agents found 104 kilos of cocaine packed in Igloo coolers on the back deck of the boat, along with 12 migrants in the center cubby cabin of the vessel, the complaint states. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025

Inspectors cited the Sacramento pizzeria after discovering missing paper towels at the handwashing station near the walk-in cooler. —Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025

Just down the street from The Newport, The Mothership bar (and its food truck, Dooby Dogs) is still closed and cleaning up from water damage and a complete loss of its coolers, sound system, computers, kegs, merchandise and all of the product stored in its basement. —Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 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