Definition

1. Noun:
   • A household appliance for preserving food by maintaining a cool temperature: An "electric refrigerator" is a cabinet or room that uses electricity to power a cooling system, keeping its interior cold to prevent food spoilage.
   • A refrigerator powered by an electric motor: Specifically, it is a refrigeration device where an electrically powered motor drives a pump that circulates a coolant to remove heat from the insulated compartment.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The invention of the electric refrigerator revolutionized food storage and safety.
  • We need to buy a new electric refrigerator because the old one stopped cooling.
  • Most modern homes are equipped with an electric refrigerator.

Advanced Usage

• Technical Context: In engineering or product specifications, the term specifies the power source and mechanism, distinguishing it from absorption refrigerators or iceboxes.
  • The laboratory uses a specialized electric refrigerator for storing sensitive chemical samples.

Variants and Related Words

• Refrigerator (n): The general term for a cooling appliance; an "electric refrigerator" is a common type.
• Fridge (n, informal): A common short form for "refrigerator."
• Freezer (n): A compartment or separate appliance for freezing food, often part of an electric refrigerator.

Synonyms

• Icebox (n, dated): Historically, an insulated box cooled by a block of ice; now often used informally for a modern refrigerator.
• Cooler (n): Can refer to a portable insulated container or, in some contexts, a refrigeration unit.

Related Phrases

• To refrigerate (v): To make or keep something cold or cool, especially for preservation.
  • You must refrigerate the milk after opening it.

Noun

1. a refrigerator in which the coolant is pumped around by an electric motor