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

• bastille
• big house [slang]
• bridewell
• brig
• calaboose
• can
• clink [slang]
• coop
• guardroom
• hock
• hold
• hoosegow
• jail
• jailhouse
• joint [slang]
• jug
• lockup
• nick [British slang]
• pen
• penitentiary
• pokey [slang]
• prison
• quod [British slang]
• slam
• slammer
• stir [slang]
• stockade
• tolbooth [Scottish]

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

About 15 minutes later, the young woman gave birth to a 7-lb., 5-oz. healthy baby boy while standing up in the cooler. —Joanne Fowler, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024

Mansfield said the cooler on the boat contained several snapper and amberjack. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 12 July 2024

This heavy-duty cooler will keep your items cold for up to two days. —Nora Colomer, Fox News, 3 July 2024

Guests can bring lawn chairs and blankets, but no coolers, grills or pets are allowed. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 June 2024

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

Kids Definition

cooler

noun

cool·​er ˈkü-lər 

: a container for keeping food or drink cool