water cooler

See also: water-cooler and watercooler

English

Etymology 1

For the gossip sense, compare scuttlebutt, of similar origin.

Noun

water cooler (plural water coolers)

1. A dispenser of cooled drinking water.
2. (figuratively) A location in the workplace where employees gather to chat or gossip.

Alternative forms

• water-cooler, watercooler

Synonyms

• water dispenser

Derived terms

• water cooler effect

Translations

dispenser of cooled drinking water

• Arabic: بَرَّاد m (barrād)

  Hijazi Arabic: بَرَّادة f (barrāda)

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 饮水机 (zh) (yǐnshuǐjī)

• Finnish: vesiautomaatti
• Plautdietsch: Wotakjeela m
• Portuguese: bebedouro (refrigerado) m
• Thai: ตู้กดน้ำ

location in the workplace

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: vesiautomaatti
• Portuguese: please add this translation if you can

Etymology 2

Attributive use of the noun.

Adjective

water cooler (comparative more water cooler, superlative most water cooler)

1. Of the nature of things discussed around a water cooler.

   In those days The Late Show was Monday water cooler topic du jour.

   water-cooler gossip, water-cooler talk, water-cooler conversation, water-cooler discussion

Alternative forms

• water-cooler, watercooler

See also

• barroom
• cracker-barrel

Further reading

• “water cooler gossip” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.

Etymology 3

A category of cooling device.

Noun

water cooler (plural water coolers)

1. A type of cooling device that uses water as the heat transfer medium.