REFRIGERATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does refrigeration mean? 

• REFRIGERATION (noun)
  The noun REFRIGERATION has 2 senses:

1. the process of cooling or freezing (e.g., food) for preservative purposes

2. deliberately lowering the body's temperature for therapeutic purposes

  Familiarity information: REFRIGERATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• REFRIGERATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The process of cooling or freezing (e.g., food) for preservative purposes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

infrigidation; refrigeration

Hypernyms ("refrigeration" is a kind of...):

chilling; cooling; temperature reduction (the process of becoming cooler; a falling temperature)

preservation (a process that saves organic substances from decay)

Derivation:

refrigerate (cool or chill in or as if in a refrigerator)

refrigerate (preserve by chilling)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Deliberately lowering the body's temperature for therapeutic purposes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

refrigeration by immersing the patient's body in a cold bath

Hypernyms ("refrigeration" is a kind of...):

therapy ((medicine) the act of caring for someone (as by medication or remedial training etc.))

 Context examples 

The therapeutic use of cold or refrigeration in medicine.

(Cryotherapy, NCI Thesaurus)

That’s important because refrigeration and air conditioning currently devour a fifth of the energy produced worldwide, and demand for cooling is only going up.

(Green material for refrigeration identified, University of Cambridge)

Refrigeration and air conditioning currently consume a fifth of all energy produced worldwide, and as global temperatures continue to rise, demand is only going to keep going up.

(Electronic solid could reduce carbon emissions in fridges and air conditioners, University of Cambridge)