Watercoolers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large apparatus used for cooling and dispensing water, typically found in offices for hydration purposes
2. A device that maintains a supply of chilled water, commonly utilized in workplaces for drinking needs and employee comfort
3. An appliance designed to provide refreshingly cool water, often placed in communal settings to encourage hydration among staff and visitors

Etymology: "Watercoolers" is simply the plural of "watercooler," so its history is that of the singular noun. The compound is built from "water" and "cooler," the latter from "cool" plus the agent suffix "-er," meaning a thing that cools. In practice the apparatus is a device that chills water for drinking, and the word's sense has grown to include the office gathering place that such devices attracted, a meaning that is often used in the phrase "water-cooler conversation."