Refrigerated

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Stored at low temperatures to inhibit spoilage and maintain quality
2. Preserved in a cool atmosphere to prolong the viability of perishable items
3. Maintained at low temperatures using cooling systems to slow down spoilage and retain freshness

Etymology: "Refrigerated" is the past participle of "refrigerate," which comes from the Latin "refrigerare," meaning "to make cold" or "to cool again." The Latin verb combines "re-," a prefix that can mean "back" or "again," with "frigerare," from "frigus," meaning "cold." The idea of restoring coolness is built into the word's ancestry, even though its modern sense is simply chilling something on purpose. In English, "refrigerate" is a fairly late arrival, and its everyday use came with the mechanical machines that made artificial cooling possible. The adjective "refrigerated" describes goods, rooms, or vehicles kept cold by such means, which is why a refrigerated truck is a cold truck and not merely one that happens to be cool outside.

Synonyms: cooled, chilled, frozen, iced, cold-stored