fridge

American  

[frij] / frɪdʒ /

noun

Informal.

1. a refrigerator.

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fridge British  

/ frɪdʒ /

noun

1. informal short for refrigerator

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Etymology

Origin of fridge

1925–30; by shortening of refrigerator or Frigidaire

Explanation

Fridge is short for refrigerator, that giant kitchen appliance that keeps food cold. If you’re too hungry to say five syllables, just say you’re going to see what’s in the fridge. Although fridge is a little word, a fridge can be anything from a regular-sized refrigerator to one of those little mini-fridges that live in a dorm room or man cave. Fridge sounds like frigid, which means very cold. The colloquial fridge has been around since the mid-1920s, possibly inspired by the well-known refrigerator brand Frigidaire.

Example Sentences

I just couldn’t get myself to pull out my credit card for what even Kirshner, a Brick fan, describes as a “$59 fridge magnet.”

From Slate • Apr. 26, 2026

An open layout features an entryway with two elegant staircases, while the kitchen is outfitted with a Sub-Zero fridge, Wolf gas stove, and large walk-in pantry.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

But there is something deeply satisfying about opening the fridge and seeing your future, already in progress.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

The award-winning Florería Atlántico in Buenos Aires—which expanded to Washington, D.C. last fall—sits beneath a working florist, accessed via a staircase concealed by a fridge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Our studio apartment in Brooklyn, with the half fridge and its “Mean People Suck” sticker that was ripped all around the edges, because Mom tried—and failed—to peel it off.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy