Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A device, container, or room that cools or keeps cool.
  • noun A cold drink, usually carbonated, fruit-flavored, and containing wine or other alcoholic ingredients.
  • noun Slang A jail.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun That which cools; anything that abates heat or excitement.
  • noun Any vessel or apparatus for cooling liquids or other things, by the agency of ice, cold water, or cold air.
  • noun A jail.
  • noun In motor-car construction, the apparatus used to lower the temperature of the circulating water which keeps the cylinder walls of the internal-combustion motor from Overheating.
  • noun A heavy square horse-blanket of sufficient size to envelop the horse's body.
  • noun A cooling drink.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun That which cools, or abates heat or excitement.
  • noun Anything in or by which liquids or other things are cooled, as an ice chest, a vessel for ice water, etc.
  • noun An alcoholic beverage containing liquor or wine plus a carbonated beverage, usually served with ice.
  • noun slang jail; -- usually used in the form the cooler.
  • noun an air conditioner.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun countable anything which cools
  • noun countable an insulated bin or box used with ice or freezer packs to keep food or beverages cold while picnicking or camping
  • noun US (countable or uncountable) a mixed drink, especially one served chilled
  • noun US, slang a prison
  • noun poker, colloquial A cold deck.
  • adjective comparative form of cool: more cool

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a cell for violent prisoners
  • noun a refrigerator for cooling liquids
  • noun an iced drink especially white wine and fruit juice

Etymologies

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Examples

  • It spent some time today in a cold, what they call a cooler eddy (ph) of water and it had some eye fall reformation, which allowed it to kind of weaken a little bit, so it dropped from that five to a four.

    CNN Transcript Sep 22, 2005 2005

  • Freidman said it took nearly three hours to perfect Kardashian's hue, which she described as a "cooler, chocolate-y brown" with "sun-kissed streaks that are close to her childhood color."

    NYDN Rss CRISTINA EVERETT 2012

  • There's enough acidity here to balance all that fruit, but it doesn't show the tension and verve that are apparent in cooler, more-typical years.

    Lenn Thompson 2009

  • Even cooler is the frequency chart of words-per-day in 500-word buckets:

    NaNoWrapUp 2009 joshenglish 2009

  • There's enough acidity here to balance all that fruit, but it doesn't show the tension and verve that are apparent in cooler, more-typical years.

    LENNDEVOURS: 2009

  • The acidity isn't quite where it might be in cooler years, but there is enough to keep it lively.

    The New York Cork Report: 2009

  • The clerk behind the counter tells you the gallon of leaking milk in the bottom of the back cooler is $4.99 ….

    Wonk Room » The Economics Of Poverty And Food 2009

  • Chic shades of azure, teal, chartreuse and emerald also made a strong showing for those who prefer to dazzle in cooler tones.

    Paris fashion week: wardrobe updates Jess Cartner-Morley 2010

  • When it's hot, wading a smallie river with a few friends, not worrying about cost or putting meat in the cooler, is perhaps the most enjoyable day I can think of.

    The Finest Summer Fishing? 2009

  • I clean the store, repair the walk-in cooler, wash the big glass windows in front.

    Working the City J. Mykell Collinz 2010

Comments

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  • An insulated box usually with a handle or handles that holds ice and beer. Used to keep the beer refrigerated and close at hand at the same time. I'm watching the Super Bowl so that's the only relevant meaning at the moment.

    February 4, 2008