water cooler

noun

1. a container for holding drinking water that is cooled and drawn off by a faucet or spigot.
2. a drinking fountain in which water is cooled by mechanical refrigeration.

water cooler

noun

1. a device for cooling and dispensing drinking water

adjective

1. informal.
   1. indicating the kind of informal conversation among office staff that takes place at such a dispenser

      water-cooler conversations

   2. indicating an event, television programme, etc, sufficiently controversial or otherwise noteworthy to provide subject matter for such conversations

      water-cooler television

      a water-cooler moment

Word History and Origins

Origin of water cooler¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Related Words

• faucet