Etymology

fridge

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Today it means: A refrigerator. Full definition →

First used 1920s
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fridge · noun, verb1

The noun is a clipping of refrigerator, perhaps influenced by the Frigidaire brand of refrigerators, or frigerator (“(dated) refrigerator”). The spelling is likely influenced by analogy with bridge, ridge, etc. The verb is derived from the noun. The fandom slang verb sense alludes to the phrase "women in refrigerators" coined by the American comic book writer Gail Simone. Simone was referencing a plot point in Green Lantern (volume 3, issue 54, 1994), in which the Green Lantern's girlfriend is murdered by a villain, and her body placed in a refrigerator for him to find.

fridge · verb2

Probably imitative of the sound of chafing or rubbing.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1920s A refrigerator.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.