icebox

American  

[ahys-boks] / ˈaɪsˌbɒks /

noun

1. an insulated cabinet or chest with a partition for ice, used for preserving or cooling food, beverages, etc.

2. Older Use. an electric or gas refrigerator.

3. Nautical. an enclosed area in the bottom of a vessel through which sea water can be pumped up for use in the condenser in icy waters.

4. Slang. an isolation cell in a prison.

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icebox British  

/ ˈaɪsˌbɒks /

noun

1. a compartment in a refrigerator for storing or making ice

2. an insulated cabinet packed with ice for storing food

3. a refrigerator

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Etymology

Origin of icebox

First recorded in 1830–40; ice + box ¹

Explanation

Icebox is an old-fashioned word for "refrigerator." Better get those bottles the milkman left on the porch and put them in the icebox — it's hot outside! Before the invention of electric refrigerators in the early 20th century, people used iceboxes to keep their perishable food chilled. These insulated cabinets evolved from outdoor ice houses, which continued to be useful for storing the ice used in kitchen iceboxes. An "iceman" would deliver fresh ice daily or weekly, and it would remain frozen inside the wooden, metal-lined icebox long enough to keep food safe. Icebox is also used regionally to refer to the modern fridge.

Example Sentences

Miraculously, the line of people that usually snakes down Melrose yearning for a slice of chef Karla Subero Pittol’s passion lime fruit icebox pie is nonexistent today.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

Airport authorities and police seized six pieces of rhinoceros horn and around 12 kilograms of unidentified meat used to conceal them inside a polystyrene icebox.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

For $100 out of my own pocket, I hired a pro who typically charges $400 or more to help make my two-century-old home feel less like an icebox in winter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

I make Banana Cake and have it covered and ready in the icebox for a week when I have time to squeeze fresh pink grapefruit juice for both breakfast and sunset cocktails.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2025

“There’s pork chops in the icebox and I’m not eating lunch today,” I say and stomp out of the room.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Related Words

• bitter
• bleak
• brisk
• chilled
• cool
• crisp
• frigid
• frosty
• frozen
• icy
• intense
• raw
• snowy
• wintry