cooler

/ˈkuːlə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkuːlər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkü-lər/ (ame, mw)

cooler — noun

  • coolersingular
  • coolersplural

1. A portable box or container, usually with insulating walls, used to keep food, d

1.名詞B1
釋義

A portable box or container, usually with insulating walls, used to keep food, drinks, and other items cold by holding ice or ice packs inside.

例句

Shira packed sandwiches and drinks in a cooler before the picnic.

collocation: pack something in a cooler

The hikers carried a small cooler filled with ice and bottled water.

collocation: cooler filled with [ice/items]

同義詞
  • ice chest

    A large cooler typically used for camping or outdoor parties

  • cool box

    British English equivalent, often smaller and less formal

  • cool bag

    A soft-sided portable cooler, common in British usage

用法筆記

Commonly used in American English for portable insulated containers. In British English, 'cool box' or 'cool bag' is more frequent. This sense is distinct from sense 7 (a refrigerator), which is a fixed appliance.

常見錯誤

❌I put the milk back in the cooler in the kitchen.
✅I put the milk back in the fridge.
💡For a stationary kitchen appliance (sense 7), use 'cooler' only in American English; 'refrigerator' or 'fridge' is clearer.

2. A device that lowers the temperature of the air in a room or building, often by

2.名詞B1
釋義

A device that lowers the temperature of the air in a room or building, often by evaporating water or blowing air over cold coils.

例句

The office uses a portable cooler to lower the temperature in summer.

collocation: portable cooler

Khanh turned on the air cooler when the room became too stuffy.

同義詞
反義詞

用法筆記

An 'air cooler' is different from an air conditioner — it typically uses evaporation rather than refrigeration. This sense is less common than 'air conditioner' in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌The cooler in my window broke, so the room is hot.
✅The air conditioner in my window broke, so the room is hot.
💡Most window units are air conditioners, not evaporative coolers.

3. A chilled alcoholic drink made by mixing wine or spirits with fruit juice, soda

3.名詞B2
釋義

A chilled alcoholic drink made by mixing wine or spirits with fruit juice, soda water, and ice; sometimes also a non-alcoholic version made of juice and fizzy water.

例句

The bar serves a refreshing wine cooler made with white wine and lemon juice.

collocation: wine cooler

Ola ordered a strawberry cooler to beat the afternoon heat.

同義詞
  • cocktail

    A broader category; not all cocktails are fruit-based or served cold in this style

  • spritzer

    Specifically wine mixed with soda water, often with less fruit juice

  • punch

    A larger-batch mixed drink, usually served in a bowl

用法筆記

This sense is most common in bar and restaurant menus. 'Wine cooler' also refers to a pre-mixed bottled drink sold in stores. Non-alcoholic versions are sometimes called 'mocktail coolers.'

4. A place where people are locked up as punishment for a crime; a jail or prison.

4.名詞C1
釋義

A place where people are locked up as punishment for a crime; a jail or prison. Used in informal or old-fashioned crime-story language.

例句

After the robbery, the gangster knew he was headed for the cooler.

slang: in the cooler = in prison

The old detective threatened to throw the suspect in the cooler.

同義詞
  • jail

    Standard term; not slang

  • prison

    Standard term for long-term confinement

  • the slammer

    Similarly old-fashioned slang, also used with 'the'

用法筆記

Always used with the definite article: 'the cooler.' This is an old-fashioned slang term from American crime fiction, less common in modern everyday speech than 'jail' or 'prison.' Distinguish from sense 5, which refers to a specific punishment cell within a prison, not the prison itself.

常見錯誤

❌The judge sent him to a cooler for ten years.
✅The judge sent him to the cooler for ten years.
💡This sense always uses 'the cooler' as if it were a proper name for the prison.

5. A small locked room inside a prison where an inmate is kept alone, usually as a

5.名詞C1
釋義

A small locked room inside a prison where an inmate is kept alone, usually as a short-term punishment for breaking prison rules.

例句

The prisoner was placed in the cooler for fighting with another inmate.

collocation: placed in the cooler

Vikram spent three days in the cooler after the riot.

同義詞

用法筆記

Frequently used with 'the' (like sense 4), but this sense refers to a specific room within a prison, not the whole prison. In modern prison terminology, 'segregation' or 'the hole' is more common than 'cooler.'

常見錯誤

❌ 'He escaped from the cooler and ran out of the prison.' — If 'the cooler' means a punishment cell, escaping from it still leaves you inside the wider prison. The sentence is ambiguous; clarify that 'the cooler' is inside the prison walls.

6. In sports such as ice hockey, rugby, and lacrosse, a designated area off the pla

6.名詞B2
釋義

In sports such as ice hockey, rugby, and lacrosse, a designated area off the playing field where a player must sit for a set amount of time as punishment for breaking the rules.

例句

The hockey player sat in the cooler for two minutes after the foul.

domain: ice hockey

After his high-sticking penalty, Diego had to sit in the cooler.

同義詞
  • penalty box

    The official term used in hockey and lacrosse

  • sin bin

    Informal British term for the penalty area in rugby and hockey

用法筆記

Used mainly in North American sports contexts. Technically called the 'penalty box' in official rules; 'cooler' is informal. This sense is distinct from sense 5 (a prison cell) — the hockey penalty is temporary and on the sports rink.

常見錯誤

❌The soccer player was sent to the cooler for a yellow card.
✅The soccer player received a yellow card.
💡Soccer uses yellow/red cards, not a penalty box or 'cooler.'

7. An electrical household appliance that uses cold temperatures to keep food, drin

7.名詞A2
釋義

An electrical household appliance that uses cold temperatures to keep food, drinks, and other perishable items fresh and safe to eat.

例句

Shira put the leftover pasta in the cooler before going to bed.

collocation: put something in the cooler

Could you grab a bottle of milk from the cooler?

同義詞
  • refrigerator

    Full formal term, universally understood

  • fridge

    Common informal shortening, used in all varieties of English

  • icebox

    Old-fashioned term for a refrigerator, rarely used today

反義詞

用法筆記

Primarily American English. In British English, this sense is rare — 'fridge' or 'refrigerator' is used instead. This sense refers to a fixed kitchen appliance, not a portable container (sense 1).

常見錯誤

❌ 'There is no food in the cooler, we should go shopping.' — In American English this sentence is correct but ambiguous: does 'cooler' mean the portable one (sense 1) or the fridge (sense 7)? In British English, a reader would think of the portable container. Use 'fridge' for clarity in international contexts.