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

• bastille
• big house [slang]
• bridewell
• brig
• calaboose
• can
• clink [slang]
• coop
• guardroom
• hock
• hold
• hoosegow
• jail
• jailhouse
• joint [slang]
• jug
• lockup
• nick [British slang]
• pen
• penitentiary
• pokey [slang]
• prison
• quod [British slang]
• slam
• slammer
• stir [slang]
• stockade
• tolbooth [Scottish]

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 sheriff’s office later noted that several items, including a camp axe, a shotgun, a revolver, and a cooler had gone missing from the scene of the crime. —Rebekah Riess, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024

The clouds might clear out and the weather should feel a little cooler by the time trick-or-treaters start knocking on doors demanding candy. —Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024

Police said the man ran into a storeroom and climbed on top of a cooler. —Richard Ruelas, The Arizona Republic, 24 Oct. 2024

The drugged reptiles had been outfitted with their gear and constrained by containers that resembled huge, long coolers with removable wire-mesh tops and collapsible doors in the front. —Jeff Vandermeer, WIRED, 22 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

cooler

noun

cool·​er ˈkü-lər 

: a container for keeping food or drink cool