refrigerator car

noun

1. a freight car having either an ice chest or machinery for chilling perishables and sometimes having a heating unit to keep perishables from freezing.

Word History and Origins

Origin of refrigerator car¹

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Example Sentences

The growth of these private refrigerator car lines caused the disappearance of live stock shipments.

From Project Gutenberg

One night we slept in a refrigerator car, where I felt as if icicles were forming on my spine.

From Project Gutenberg

Other lots were held a day after being withdrawn from the refrigerator car and then examined.

From Project Gutenberg

After dark I hunted around in the railroad yards until I found an empty refrigerator car.

From Project Gutenberg

I found the car—a big refrigerator car with the leeward door wide open for ventilation.

From Project Gutenberg