A fridge is a common shortened form of refrigerator, the appliance that keeps food cold and fresh. Every time you grab milk for cereal or check what's for dinner, you're opening the fridge door. Inside, the temperature stays around 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, cold enough to slow down the bacteria that make food spoil but not cold enough to freeze things solid (that's what the freezer does).

Before refrigerators were invented in the early 1900s, people kept food cold using blocks of ice in wooden boxes called iceboxes. Ice delivery was a regular job, with workers bringing heavy blocks to homes several times a week. Modern fridges changed everything about how families shop, cook, and eat. You can now buy fresh food once a week instead of every day, store leftovers safely, and keep ingredients ready whenever you need them.