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fridge

n. · v.
US //ˈfɹɪdʒ// UK //fɹˈɪdʒ// fridge
  1. 1 kitchen appliance (n.)
    A2 Elementary Informal

    a large piece of kitchen equipment that keeps food and drinks cold so they stay fresh.

    an appliance or cabinet which is cooled artificially and used to store food and drink at low temperatures.

    Example

    Don't forget to put the milk back in the fridge so it doesn't go bad.

    Example

    The modern smart fridge can monitor its own internal temperature and alert the owner via a smartphone app if the door is left ajar.
  2. 2 to chill food (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    to put food or drink into a refrigerator to make it cold.

    to place items inside a refrigerator for the purpose of cooling or preservation.

    Example

    You should fridge the dessert for at least an hour before you serve it.

    Example

    The recipe suggests that you fridge the dough overnight to allow the gluten to relax and the flavours to develop fully.
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  1. 3 narrative trope (v.)
    C1 Advanced Slang

    to kill or hurt a character in a story just to make the main character angry or sad.

    to harm or kill a secondary character, typically female, solely to provide a motivational catalyst for a primary character, typically male.

    Example

    Fans complained when the writers decided to fridge the hero's girlfriend just to start a revenge plot.

    Example

    Critics often point to that specific episode as a classic example of the tendency to fridge female characters to advance a male protagonist's emotional arc.

    Usage

    This term is used in literary and film criticism to describe lazy or sexist writing.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a modern term from internet culture and media criticism; it comes from a specific comic book where a character was found in a refrigerator.

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.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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