冷冻 (lěng dòng) is a noun meaning 'refrigeration' or 'freezing'—the process of lowering temperature to preserve food, biological samples, or other materials. The character 冷 means 'cold', and 冻 means 'to freeze' or 'frost'; together, they form a compound that emphasizes the act or state of freezing. It’s commonly used in scientific, medical, and culinary contexts—for example, when discussing frozen food storage, cryopreservation of cells, or industrial cold-chain logistics.

Unlike the verb 冻 (dòng), which can stand alone ('to freeze'), 冷冻 functions primarily as a noun or nominal modifier (e.g., 冷冻食品 'frozen food'). It implies controlled, sustained low-temperature treatment rather than incidental freezing. In daily life, it appears on appliance labels (e.g., 冷冻室 'freezer compartment'), health reports (e.g., 冷冻保存 'cryopreservation'), and food packaging—making it essential for understanding modern living and healthcare terminology.