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

Stop Sale lightning took out chicken wings and cooked boneless chicken wings measuring 55 and 52 degrees in a reach-in cooler apparently useless for keeping food at or under 41 degrees. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025

Egg noodles were improperly cooling in a deep container with a lid in the walk-in cooler. —Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025

Reach-in cooler that holds fruit has an accumulation of soil. —Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Sep. 2025

Recesses for the seats are built in, as is a space to drop in a cooler. —Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 24 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