water cooler
Word forms: plural water coolers
1. countable noun
A water cooler is a machine that dispenses drinking water, especially in an office.
[mainly US]2. singular noun
Water cooler is used in expressions that refer to the informal conversations that people have in their office or workplace.
Three out of four Americans watched Roots, and then the next day could talk aboutrace relations at the water cooler.
water-cooler in British English
or watercooler (ˈwɔːtəˌkuːlə)
noun
1.
a device for cooling and dispensing drinking water
2. (modifier)
indicating the kind of informal conversation among office staff that takes place at such a dispenser
water-cooler conversations
3. (modifier) informal
indicating an event, television programme, etc, sufficiently controversial or otherwise noteworthy to provide subject matter for workplace conversations
water-cooler television
a water-cooler moment
water cooler in American English
US
a device for cooling water, esp. by refrigeration, for drinking, as from a bubbler or a refillable container
Image ofwater cooler
© Nerthuz, Shutterstock
Examples of 'water-cooler' in a sentencewater-cooler
- freedom food
- freedomites
- freedom of expression
- freedom of information act
- freedom of speech
- freedom of the city
- freedom of the press
- freedom of the seas
- freedom rider
- freedwoman
- freedwomen
- free education
- free electron
- free energy
- free enterprise
- free-enterprise economy
- free-enterprise-economy
- free enthalpy
- free expansion
- free fall
- free-fall
- freefall parachuting
- free fight
- free-fire zone
- free flight