air conditioner

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   An electrical machine that cools and dries the air inside a room or building.

   Grammar: Countable: one air conditioner, two air conditioners. The short form 'AC' is common in speech.

   Patterns

   • turn on the air conditioner
   • turn off the air conditioner
   • install an air conditioner
   • an air conditioner unit

   It's so hot in here—could you turn on the air conditioner?

   We had an air conditioner installed in the bedroom last summer.

   The office air conditioner broke, so everyone worked from home.

2. 2nouncountable

   A system or device in a vehicle that cools and cleans the air for passengers.

   Grammar: Often used with 'the' when talking about a car's system: 'the air conditioner isn't working'.

   Patterns

   • the car's air conditioner
   • the air conditioner is on

   The car's air conditioner stopped working on the highway.

   Please don't touch the air conditioner; it's set just right.

Word forms

Common combinations

turn on the air conditioner

She turned on the air conditioner as soon as she got home.

air conditioner unit

The air conditioner unit outside makes a loud noise.

central air conditioner

Their new house has a central air conditioner.

repair the air conditioner

We need to repair the air conditioner before summer.

Synonyms and how they differ

AC

The short informal form, very common in American English speech and writing.

air con

Common in British English and in some Asian varieties; informal.

Word family

air-condition verb

To cool and control the air in a building or vehicle.

air-conditioned adjective

Having air conditioning; kept cool by a machine.

air conditioning noun

The system or process of cooling and controlling air.

Commonly confused: air conditioner or air conditioning? air conditioner or fan?

Practice

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