Fridge

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /fɹɪd͡ʒ/

Definitions

1. An insulated kitchen device that preserves food items creates a cold environment to inhibit spoilage
2. A household appliance designed to lower temperatures and maintain food safety by slowing spoilage and keeping perishable items fresh
3. A mechanical unit used in kitchens that cools and stores food securely while preventing spoilage through refrigeration techniques

Etymology: The most surprising twist is that "fridge" is a shortened form of "refrigerator," clipped from the longer word and then spelled in a way that owes more to other English words than to its own sound. The spelling is likely influenced by analogy with words like "bridge" and "ridge," so the familiar "-dge" ending reflects spelling habit rather than the word's ancestry. A possible additional influence is the Frigidaire brand, a name that made refrigerators familiar in American homes, though this link is uncertain. The older form "frigerator," meaning the same appliance, was already dated by the time "fridge" caught on. The word has also become a verb in fan slang, "to fridge," meaning to kill or sideline a character for dramatic effect. It alludes to a 1994 issue of Green Lantern, in which a hero's girlfriend is murdered and her body left in a refrigerator for him to find. The American comic book writer Gail Simone later coined the phrase "women in refrigerators" to criticize this kind of plotting.

Synonyms: refrigerator, icebox