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

And the [cooler] flies, and the heart goes skidding across the room. —Ana Calderone, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025

Roaches were present in the reach-in cooler, on the floors and in the walk-in cooler near food. —Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025

Shredded chicken was improperly cooling inside the prep cooler. —Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025

Two dead roaches were inside a cooler used to store pancakes. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 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