Refrigerants

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Substances used in cooling systems to absorb heat from the environment
2. compounds that undergo phase changes to facilitate refrigeration processes
3. chemicals employed to lower temperatures in HVAC systems and other cooling applications

Etymology: "Refrigerants" is simply the plural of "refrigerant," so its history is that of the singular form. The noun comes from Latin "refrigerans," the present participle of "refrigerare," meaning "to cool" or "to refresh." The Latin verb combines "re-," an intensive or restorative prefix, with "frigus," meaning "cold," the same root behind English "frigid" and "frost" (via Germanic, not directly). The sense of the word has narrowed considerably from its Latin roots. In its original form, "refrigerans" described anything that cooled or refreshed, whether a breeze, a drink, or a sensation of coolness. Over time the English noun settled on a technical meaning: a substance that absorbs heat in a cooling cycle, such as the working fluid inside a refrigerator or air conditioner.