A DEFECTIVE FOOD CHILLER IS NOT PROPERLY DEFERRED UNDER THE PRESSURE OF DEP SCHEDULE AND A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE TERM BY CABIN CREW.

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MAINT WAS RECEIVED AT GATE; 'CHILLER' (FOOD REFRIGERATOR UNIT) WAS INOP IN AFT GALLEY. WE CALLED THIS IN TO RAMP/MAINT IMMEDIATELY. MECH WAS SENT UP TO ACFT. I WAS TOLD BY FLT ATTENDANT (AROUND PUSH TIME) IT WOULD BE 'DEFERRED.' AS MECH (ANOTHER) GOT ON HEADSET; GETTING READY FOR PUSHBACK; I QUESTIONED IF A NEW MAINT DOCUMENT WAS FORTHCOMING. HE STATED 'NO' DUE TO NO WRITE-UPS. I STATED WE CALLED INTO MAINT THE 'CHILLER INOP.' BY NOW; THE JETWAY WAS PULLED BACK FROM THE ACFT; AND RAMP WAS STATING WE WERE BLOCKING THE GATE SPACE FOR AN INBOUND ACFT. THE FO AND I DISCUSSED IT; AND DECIDED WE WOULD CALL THIS IN TO MAINT TO HAVE IT PROPERLY DONE: 'DEFERRED.' I CALLED BACK TO THE FLT ATTENDANT; WHO WAS WORKING WITH MAINT ON THIS; AND I QUESTIONED THE STATUS OF WHERE THE MECH LEFT THIS? SHE THEN TOLD ME MAINT SAID 'TO WRITE IT UP LATER; ENRTE.' ONE CAUSAL FACTOR: 1) FLT ATTENDANTS GOT TO ACFT LATE (VAN WAS 45 MINS LATE). 2) MISUSE OF TERMINOLOGY: I TOLD FLT ATTENDANT 'DEFERRED' MEANS TO PROPERLY DEFER; NOT 'PUT IT OFF TO LATER.'