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

The Mexican navy searched a vast area of the Pacific Ocean by sea and air, eventually finding the two men floating in a large fishing cooler about 150 miles off the coast of Chiapas, a southern state in Mexico that borders Guatemala. — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Two fishermen who used a cooler to survive at sea for days were found alive and rescued on Wednesday, the Mexican navy said. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Customers can pick them up in Walmart’s ready-to-drink coffee aisle and at some stores, in the Grab & Go coolers near the front. — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Northbounders, or NOBOs, usually begin in the spring and finish in the late summer or early fall, so the weather is decent for most of the way—cool in the early going, hot for a brief while in the Mid-Atlantic, and cooler once again in New England. — Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 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

• ruler
• schooler
• schuller
• preschooler
• vestibular

Kids Definition

cooler

noun

cool·​er ˈkü-lər 

: a container for keeping food or drink cool