cooler
/ˈkuːlə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkuːlər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkü-lər/ (ame, mw)
cooler — 名詞
- coolersingular
- coolersplural
1. A portable box or container, usually with insulating walls, used to keep food, d
保冷箱
攜帶型冷藏容器
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.
Shira packed sandwiches and drinks in a cooler before the picnic.
Shira 在野餐前把三明治和飲料放進保冷箱。
collocation: pack something in a cooler
The hikers carried a small cooler filled with ice and bottled water.
那群登山客帶著一個裝滿冰塊和瓶裝水的小保冷箱。
collocation: cooler filled with [ice/items]
Diego forgot to put the cooler in the shade, so the ice melted quickly.
Diego 忘記把保冷箱放在陰涼處，冰塊很快就融化了。
Astrid opened the cooler and handed everyone a cold soda.
Astrid 打開保冷箱，遞給每個人一罐冰涼的汽水。
We bought a large blue cooler to keep drinks cold at the beach.
我們買了一個藍色大保冷箱，準備在海邊保持飲料冰涼。
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
2. A device that lowers the temperature of the air in a room or building, often by
冷風機
降低室內空氣溫度的裝置
A device that lowers the temperature of the air in a room or building, often by evaporating water or blowing air over cold coils.
The office uses a portable cooler to lower the temperature in summer.
那間辦公室夏天使用一台移動式冷風機來降溫。
collocation: portable cooler
Khanh turned on the air cooler when the room became too stuffy.
Khanh 在房間變得悶熱時打開了冷風機。
An evaporative cooler works best in dry climates rather than humid ones.
蒸發式冷風機在乾燥氣候下效果最好，潮濕地區效果較差。
The garage had a small cooler that blew cool mist across the workbench.
車庫裡有一台小冷風機，對著工作檯吹出涼爽的水霧。
- air conditioner
Cools air using refrigeration, more powerful than most air coolers
- evaporative cooler
A specific type of air cooler that uses water evaporation
- swamp cooler
Informal American term for an evaporative cooler
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
3. A chilled alcoholic drink made by mixing wine or spirits with fruit juice, soda
水果調酒
摻果汁汽水的冰涼飲料
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.
The bar serves a refreshing wine cooler made with white wine and lemon juice.
那間酒吧提供清爽的水果調酒，以白酒和檸檬汁調製。
collocation: wine cooler
Ola ordered a strawberry cooler to beat the afternoon heat.
Ola 點了一杯草莓水果調酒來消暑。
Hassan mixed a batch of fruit coolers for the party using pineapple juice and soda.
Hassan 用鳳梨汁和汽水調了一大壺水果調酒給派對喝。
A bottle of fizzy water and fruit juice makes a simple non-alcoholic cooler.
一瓶氣泡水和果汁就能做出簡單的不含酒精水果調酒。
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.
監獄
監獄（俚語）
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.
After the robbery, the gangster knew he was headed for the cooler.
搶劫之後，那名歹徒知道自己準備進監獄了。
slang: in the cooler = in prison
The old detective threatened to throw the suspect in the cooler.
老刑警威脅要把嫌疑人關進監獄。
Chen spent five years in the cooler for his part in the crime.
Chen 因為參與那起犯罪而在監獄裡待了五年。
The movie showed a criminal who had been in the cooler twice before.
那部電影描述了一個以前進過兩次監獄的罪犯。
- 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
5. A small locked room inside a prison where an inmate is kept alone, usually as a
禁閉室
監獄內單獨懲戒的隔離囚室
A small locked room inside a prison where an inmate is kept alone, usually as a short-term punishment for breaking prison rules.
The prisoner was placed in the cooler for fighting with another inmate.
那名囚犯因為和另一名受刑人打架而被關進禁閉室。
collocation: placed in the cooler
Vikram spent three days in the cooler after the riot.
Vikram 在暴動後被關在禁閉室裡三天。
Prison guards used the cooler to isolate violent offenders.
獄警用禁閉室來隔離有暴力行為的受刑人。
The warden ordered the inmate sent to the cooler for breaking the rules.
典獄長下令將那名違規的受刑人送到禁閉室。
- solitary confinement
Standard formal term for isolation as punishment
- the hole
Modern slang for a punishment cell in prison
- segregation unit
Official correctional term
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
受罰席
運動比賽中犯規離場的懲罰區
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.
The hockey player sat in the cooler for two minutes after the foul.
那名冰球球員犯規後在受罰席坐了兩分鐘。
domain: ice hockey
After his high-sticking penalty, Diego had to sit in the cooler.
Diego 因為高舉球桿犯規，只好坐在受罰席。
The referee sent the player to the cooler for rough play.
裁判因為粗暴比賽將那名球員罰進受罰席。
The team scored twice while the opponent was in the cooler.
對方有人坐在受罰席時，那支球隊連進了兩分。
- 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
7. An electrical household appliance that uses cold temperatures to keep food, drin
冰箱
冷藏食物飲料的電器
An electrical household appliance that uses cold temperatures to keep food, drinks, and other perishable items fresh and safe to eat.
Shira put the leftover pasta in the cooler before going to bed.
Shira 在睡覺前把剩餘的義大利麵放進冰箱。
collocation: put something in the cooler
Could you grab a bottle of milk from the cooler?
可以幫我從冰箱拿一瓶牛奶嗎？
The eggs should be kept in the cooler to stay fresh.
雞蛋應該放在冰箱裡保存以保持新鮮。
Khanh checked the cooler but found only a half-empty jar of pickles.
Khanh 檢查了冰箱，只找到半罐醃黃瓜。
Chen took a cold bottle of water from the cooler and drank it quickly.
Chen 從冰箱拿出一瓶冷水，很快地喝了下去。
- 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
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.