Coolers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Containers specifically constructed to preserve the coolness of food and beverages for a prolonged duration
2. Portable boxes designed to maintain low temperatures for food and drinks ; machines or devices that lower the heat in an environment or on equipment
3. Thermally insulated containers used to keep perishables chilled during transport or outdoor activities ; equipment that provides airflow to cool down hardware or rooms

Etymology: The sense "something that makes things cool" is the surprising part here: "cool" began as the adjective for a mild temperature, and the verb sense of cooling came first from Old English "cōlian", which the noun "cool" grew out of. "Cooler" itself is formed plainly: the adjective "cool" with the agent suffix "-er", which in English attaches to a verb or adjective to name a thing that does the action or has the quality. A cooler is therefore literally "a thing that cools." The suffix descends from Latin "-arius", which passed through Old French "-ier" and Middle English "-er" before settling into the English system. The plural "coolers" is simply the regular plural of this noun, so it names more than one such box or device. Its meanings have spread from the basic sense of making something cold to containers and machines that do so, and the word is used in those senses for picnic chests, ice chests, and air-conditioning units.

Synonyms: refrigerators, chillers, cooling units