cooler
Portable box for cold food/drinks
A box or container with thick walls that people use with ice to keep food and drinks cold when they are outside or traveling.
[someone] puts [food/drinks] in a cooler
- We packed the cooler with sandwiches and cold drinks for the beach.
- Can you grab a soda from the cooler on the back porch?
- They filled the cooler with ice before loading it into the truck.
- The campsite had no fridge, so we kept everything in a large cooler.
- After the game, the players reached into the team cooler for water.
- He puts the bottles in the cooler with ice.
- We take a cooler when we go to the lake.
- The meat stays fresh in the cooler.
- There is a small cooler in the car.
- Please close the cooler so the ice does not melt.
Having a lower temperature
Less warm than something else, or less warm than before.
[something] is cooler than [something]
- It’s much cooler today than it was yesterday.
- Let’s sit in the shade where it’s cooler.
- The basement is usually cooler than the rest of the house.
- Evenings are getting cooler as autumn approaches.
- Open the window to let some cooler air in.
- The room is cooler with the window open.
- It is cooler in the morning than at noon.
- This side of the street is cooler because of the trees.
- My tea is cooler now, so I can drink it.
- The weather is cooler in October.
More calm and controlled
More relaxed and not so angry or excited as another person or as before.
[someone] keeps a cooler head than [someone]
- She stayed cooler than everyone else during the emergency.
- We need someone with a cooler head to negotiate this deal.
- His second email was much cooler in tone than the first one.
- After a short walk, he came back cooler and ready to talk.
- Cooler minds eventually accepted the compromise.
- After he waits a few minutes, he feels cooler and less angry.
- We need a cooler person to lead the meeting.
- Her answer was cooler and more polite this time.
- He is cooler than his brother when there is a problem.
- When you are cooler, you can think better.
More fashionable or impressive
Seen as more stylish, interesting, or special than something else.
[something] is cooler than [something] (socially)
- That jacket is cooler than anything I own.
- Streaming the show is much cooler than watching it on regular TV.
- She always picks the cooler restaurants for us to try.
- The new logo looks a lot cooler than the old one.
- He thinks playing in a band is cooler than working in an office.
- This phone is cooler than my old phone.
- I think your shoes are cooler than mine.
- The city is cooler than our small town for young people.
- That movie is cooler than the last one we saw.
- His idea is cooler and more fun.
Device for cooling air or liquid
A machine or part of a machine that makes air or liquid colder.
[something] is cooled by a cooler
- The air cooler wasn’t strong enough for the large office.
- Make sure the CPU cooler is installed correctly before turning the computer on.
- The engine’s oil cooler keeps the temperature within a safe range.
- In dry climates, many homes use an evaporative cooler instead of traditional air conditioning.
- The technician replaced the faulty cooler in the refrigeration system.
- The computer has a cooler to keep it from getting too hot.
- They use a big cooler to make the air cold in the factory.
- The car needs a new oil cooler.
- This room has a small air cooler in the window.
- A cooler moves heat away from the machine.
Sweet mixed alcoholic drink
A cold drink with alcohol, fruit juice, and sometimes soda, that tastes sweet.
[someone] orders a [flavor] cooler
- She ordered a peach wine cooler instead of a beer.
- These bottled coolers are popular at summer parties.
- He prefers a light cooler to stronger cocktails.
- The bar has several fruit coolers on the menu.
- They served a refreshing lemon cooler with the appetizers.
- She drinks a wine cooler at the party.
- Coolers are cold and sweet alcoholic drinks.
- He likes a cooler more than a strong drink.
- They put many coolers in the fridge before the barbecue.
- I ordered a fruit cooler with my meal.
Slang term for prison or jail
An informal, slang word for prison or a jail cell.
[someone] is in the cooler
- In the movie, the hero spends a week in the cooler for a crime he didn’t commit.
- They threatened to throw him in the cooler if he didn’t calm down.
- After the fight, he ended up in the cooler overnight.
- The gang leader has been in the cooler for years.
- He joked that if he kept speeding, he’d land in the cooler.
- The police put him in the cooler for one night.
- In this story, the main man is in the cooler.
- If you break the law, you can go to the cooler.
- He does not want to go back to the cooler.
- They say he spent five years in the cooler.
Person who brings bad luck or kills excitement
A person or thing that makes other people lose or feel less happy or excited.
[someone] is a real cooler
- In the film, the casino hires a cooler to stop big winners at the tables.
- Don’t invite him, he’s a total cooler at parties.
- After she sat down at the poker table, they blamed her as the cooler when everyone started losing.
- The new manager turned out to be a cooler for sales.
- Superstitious players thought the dealer was a cooler and asked for a change.
- They say he is a cooler because they lose when he comes.
- She feels like a cooler when the party gets quiet after she arrives.
- Some gamblers think the new man is a cooler.
- In this story, the casino pays a cooler to stop winners.
- He does not want to be a cooler for his team.
- Base: cooler
- Plural: coolers
air cooler
1Device that cools air
A machine or unit that makes the air colder in a room or inside a machine.
- We installed an air cooler in the workshop to fight the summer heat.
- An air cooler is cheaper than a full air-conditioning system.
- The server room uses a special air cooler to protect the equipment.
beer cooler
1Container or fridge for cold beer
A box, container, or special fridge where beer is kept cold.
- He grabbed a bottle from the beer cooler at the store.
- They filled a big beer cooler with ice for the party.
- The bar installed a new beer cooler behind the counter.
cooler heads prevail
1Calm people win in the end
Used to say that people who stay calm and do not get too angry will make the final decision or will be right in the end.
- Let’s wait until cooler heads prevail before we decide.
- In the end, cooler heads prevailed and the strike was avoided.
- They were shouting at first, but cooler heads prevailed and they found a compromise.
in the cooler
1In prison or in a jail cell
In prison or in a jail cell, used in slang.
- He spent the night in the cooler after the bar fight.
- They said he’s been in the cooler for three years now.
- One more mistake like that, and you’ll end up in the cooler.
put someone in the cooler
1Send someone to jail
To lock someone in prison or in a jail cell, used in slang.
- The cops threatened to put him in the cooler if he didn’t calm down.
- They put the troublemakers in the cooler for the rest of the night.
- He was put in the cooler after breaking parole.
swamp cooler
1Evaporative air-cooling device
A kind of air cooler that makes air cold by blowing it through wet material, used in dry places.
- Many homes in the desert use a swamp cooler instead of air conditioning.
- The swamp cooler works well until the air gets too humid.
- They turned on the swamp cooler to keep the house comfortable.
water cooler
1Machine for cold drinking water
A machine in an office or public place that gives cold drinking water.
- They chatted by the water cooler during their break.
- The office has a new water cooler near the kitchen.
- Please refill the bottles for the water cooler when they are empty.
water-cooler talk
1Informal office conversation or gossip
Informal talk between people at work, often about TV, sports, or other non-work things.
- The show quickly became the main topic of water-cooler talk on Monday mornings.
- There’s a lot of water-cooler talk about the new manager.
- He hates office water-cooler talk and usually eats lunch alone.
wine cooler
1Sweet mixed drink with wine
A cold, sweet alcoholic drink made from wine and juice or soda.
- She prefers a wine cooler to a strong cocktail.
- The store sells several brands of wine coolers in the refrigerator section.
- He brought a case of wine coolers to the barbecue.