refrigerate

verb

re·​frig·​er·​ate ri-ˈfri-jə-ˌrāt 

refrigerated; refrigerating

transitive verb

: to make or keep cold or cool

specifically : to freeze or chill for preservation

foods that should be refrigerated

refrigeration

ri-ˌfri-jə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Synonyms

• freeze
• chill
• cool

Examples of refrigerate in a Sentence

Refrigerate the mixture for an hour before serving.

refrigerate the cake after you frost it so that the frosting doesn't melt

Recent Examples on the Web

How about the ancient toenails with fungus that were going to be lost because the researchers could no longer afford to refrigerate them? —Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 3 Aug. 2025

Aged cheeses undergo fermentation and drying processes that intensify flavor and extend shelf life, while cottage cheese has a higher moisture content and must be refrigerated to prevent spoilage. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 29 July 2025

If possible, refrigerate the caponata overnight to allow the flavors to develop. —Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 22 July 2025

At their peak, summer tomatoes have the best flavor if they haven't been refrigerated, which is often the case with grocery store tomatoes. —Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 18 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin refrigeratus, past participle of refrigerare, from re- + frigerare to cool, from frigor-, frigus cold — more at frigid

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for refrigerate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

refrigerate

verb

re·​frig·​er·​ate ri-ˈfrij-ə-ˌrāt 

refrigerated; refrigerating

: to make or keep cold or cool

especially : to freeze or chill food to preserve it

refrigeration

-ˌfrij-ə-ˈrā-shən 

noun