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insulator

/ˌɪnsəˈleɪdər/
/ˈɪnsəleɪtə/
IPA guide

Other forms: insulators

Any material that keeps energy such as electricity, heat, or cold from easily transferring through is an insulator. Wood, plastic, rubber, and glass are good insulators. Swiss cheese...not so much.

The word insulator comes from the Latin root insulātus, which means "like an island." If your house is built out of good insulators, you might enjoy an island of warmth inside it even during cold winter nights. The opposite of insulator is conductor: a material that easily transmits heat or electricity.

Definitions of insulator
  1. noun
    a material such as glass or porcelain with negligible electrical or thermal conductivity
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    conductor
    a substance that readily conducts e.g. electricity and heat
    types:
    bushing
    an insulating liner in an opening through which conductors pass
    mineral wool, rock wool
    a light fibrous material used as an insulator
    glass wool
    glass fibers spun and massed into bundles resembling wool
    type of:
    material, stuff
    the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
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