refrigeration
UK[rɪˌfrɪdʒəˈreɪʃən]US[rɪˌfrɪdʒəˈreɪʃən]
n
The process of making or keeping something, especially food or drink, cold in order to preserve it.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
frig
eration
re
again
frig
cold
eration
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'refrigeration' is built on the Latin verb refrigerare, meaning "to make cold again" or "to cool down". This verb itself is a compound of the prefix re- (again) and the root frigus (cold, frost). The core concept of cold preservation is directly inherited from this Latin source. The modern English noun, formed by adding the suffix -ation, specifically denotes the technological process or act of cooling for preservation, a meaning that evolved seamlessly from its classical roots as artificial cooling methods developed.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + frig (cold) + eration (noun suffix)
re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
frig: Latin origin, from the root frigus meaning "cold".
eration: Latin origin, a noun-forming suffix indicating an action or process.
Examples
Modern refrigeration allows us to keep food fresh for much longer.
The refrigeration unit in the laboratory stopped working, jeopardizing the samples.
Before the invention of mechanical refrigeration, people used ice houses to preserve food.