refrigerate

verb

re·​frig·​er·​ate ri-ˈfri-jə-ˌrāt 

refrigerated; refrigerating

transitive verb

: to make or keep cold or cool

specifically : to freeze or chill for preservation

foods that should be refrigerated

refrigeration

ri-ˌfri-jə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Synonyms

• chill
• cool

Examples of refrigerate in a Sentence

Refrigerate the mixture for an hour before serving.

refrigerate the cake after you frost it so that the frosting doesn't melt

Recent Examples on the Web

Some fresh fruits and veggies actually do fine (or even thrive) at room temperature, so refrigerating them isn’t even necessary. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 16 Jan. 2025

Simply roll the ingredients into tortillas, place in your baking dish, and refrigerate the night before. —Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2025

To minimize Salmonella risk, commercial eggs in the U.S. are washed to remove bacteria and then kept refrigerated until they are sold. —Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2025

The fondant is ready to use, but can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month. —Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin refrigeratus, past participle of refrigerare, from re- + frigerare to cool, from frigor-, frigus cold — more at frigid

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

refrigerate

verb

re·​frig·​er·​ate ri-ˈfrij-ə-ˌrāt 

refrigerated; refrigerating

: to make or keep cold or cool

especially : to freeze or chill food to preserve it

refrigeration

-ˌfrij-ə-ˈrā-shən 

noun