coolant

[koo-luhnt]

noun

1. a substance, usually a liquid or a gas, used to reduce the temperature of a system below a specified value by conducting away the heat produced in the operation of the system, as the liquid in an automobile cooling system or the fluid that removes heat from the core of a nuclear reactor.

2. a lubricant that dissipates the heat caused by friction.

coolant

/ ˈkuːlənt /

noun

1. a fluid used to cool a system or to transfer heat from one part of it to another

2. a liquid, such as an emulsion of oil, water, and soft soap, used to lubricate and cool the workpiece and cutting tool during machining

Word History and Origins

Origin of coolant¹

First recorded in 1925–30; cool + -ant

Example Sentences

Anglian Water points out that it is not obliged to supply water for non-domestic use and suggests recycled water from the final stage of effluent treatment as a coolant rather than drinking water.

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It is both the spark that can ignite a fire and the coolant that prevents us all from overheating.

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In the fire zone, they had drunk vehicle coolant, probably because they were desperately thirsty.

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These coolants are essential in fusion reactors to extract heat and breed tritium, but their corrosive nature threatens the integrity of the structural materials used.

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Serhiy, the only man on the team, has to pour in bottled water by hand as a coolant.

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