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REFERENCE

fridge

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈfɹɪdʒ// UK //fɹˈɪdʒ// fridge Archaic Dialect General-service Informal Slang

n. a large piece of kitchen equipment that stays cold inside to keep food fresh. You use it to store things like milk, meat, and vegetables so they do not go bad.

n. a large electrical appliance used for keeping food and drinks cool at a temperature just above freezing. A shortened, informal form of 'refrigerator' that has become the standard term in most contexts.


SIMPLE

Please put the milk back in the fridge.

CONTEXTUAL

I need to go to the supermarket because there is almost nothing left in the fridge.

COMPLEX

Modern energy-efficient fridges use significantly less electricity than older models, helping to reduce both household utility bills and the overall carbon footprint of a kitchen.

Etymology 1

The noun is a clipping of refrigerator, perhaps influenced by the Frigidaire brand of refrigerators, or frigerator (“(dated) refrigerator”). The spelling is likely influenced by analogy with bridge, ridge, etc. The verb is derived from the noun. The fandom slang verb sense alludes to the phrase "women in refrigerators" coined by the American comic book writer Gail Simone. Simone was referencing a plot point in Green Lantern (volume 3, issue 54, 1994), in which the Green Lantern's girlfriend is murdered by a villain, and her body placed in a refrigerator for him to find.

Etymology 2

Probably imitative of the sound of chafing or rubbing.

Usage

Commonly used as a shortened form of 'refrigerator' in both spoken and written English.

Idioms1 entry

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