# refrigerator

Pronunciation: US say "ri-FRIJ-uh-ray-tur" /ɹɪˈfɹɪd͡ʒəˌɹeɪtɚ/; UK say "ri-FRIJ-uh-ray-tuh" /ɹɪˈfɹɪd͡ʒəˌɹeɪtə/

## Noun

1. A household or commercial appliance that keeps food fresh by cooling it through refrigeration.
   - Simple: A machine that keeps food cold so it stays fresh for longer.
   - _A good refrigerator keeps dairy products safe for days longer than an open pantry._
   - _The restaurant's walk-in refrigerators held hundreds of pounds of produce at a steady chill._
2. A similar appliance used to keep non-food items cold, such as blood, photographic film, or medicines like insulin.
   - Simple: A cold machine used to store things like blood, medicine, or film instead of food.
   - _The hospital refrigerator held bags of donated blood at a steady low temperature._
   - _Pharmacists keep insulin in a dedicated refrigerator to preserve its potency._
3. A person who has a chilling effect on others, dampening warmth or good cheer in a group.
   - Simple: A person who spoils a happy mood and makes everyone around feel uneasy.
   - _His grim silence made him the refrigerator of the dinner party, freezing every attempt at conversation._
   - _She could be such a refrigerator, cooling the room the moment she disagreed._

## Origin

From Medieval Latin refrīgerātor, meaning "cooler."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/refrigerator (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).