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 of cooler

• 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

Despite the growth of organ preservation technologies, many donor organs are still transported in unregulated consumer ice coolers, even when the medical consensus says that ice is too cold and can cause irreparable damage to organ tissues. —Brittany Clayborne, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2026

An additional lawsuit was filed in January in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, against LivaNova and an employee at The University of Kansas Hospital called a perfusionist, who was in charge of the heater-cooler device during the surgery of a patient who later died. —Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026

Raw shell eggs were stored above the green peppers in the walk-in cooler. —Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado april 10, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2026

Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, but pets and coolers are prohibited. —Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 10 Apr. 2026

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