refrigerare

Refrigerare is a verb meaning to cool or to refrigerate, from Latin refrigerare, formed from re- "back, again" and frīgidus "cold." In Latin the term described making something cold again or refreshing it. It has given rise to modern Romance-language forms and to the English words refrigeration and refrigerant through the same Latin root.

In Italian, refrigerare is used as a standard verb meaning to cool or refrigerate foods, medicines, or environments. It appears in culinary, scientific, and technical contexts and is widely understood in formal writing.

In science and industry, refrigeration refers to the process of removing heat from a space or substance to lower its temperature. This relies on cycles such as vapor-compression or absorption and uses refrigerants (for example ammonia, carbon dioxide, and certain fluorinated compounds) subject to safety and environmental regulations.

Historically, people cooled with ice and natural cooling; mechanical refrigeration emerged in the 19th century and expanded through the 20th. Today refrigeration underpins food preservation, medicine, and climate control in buildings and vehicles.