noun
reefer
REE-fuh
noun
1
A short, close-fitting jacket, traditionally made of thick wool cloth.
"He wore a navy reefer over his uniform."
2
A refrigerated shipping container, truck, or railway car.
"The frozen goods were loaded into a reefer for transport."
3
Slang for a marijuana cigarette.
"The old film "Reefer Madness" is now considered a cult classic for its exaggerated warnings."
How to Use Reefer
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDepending on context: a type of jacket, a refrigerated container, or slang for a joint.
When to use it
The marijuana sense is informal slang, now somewhat dated.
Word Forms
reefers plural, reefers plural, reefers plural
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He wore a navy _____ over his uniform.
Etymology
From reef plus -er; the jacket and clothing sense comes from sailors who reefed sails, while the marijuana sense arose independently in 20th-century slang.