conduction

[ kuhn-duhk-shuhn ]

See synonyms for conduction on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of conducting, as of water through a pipe.
Physics.
- the transfer of heat between two parts of a stationary system, caused by a temperature difference between the parts.
- transmission through a conductor.
- conductivity.

Physiology. the carrying of sound waves, electrons, heat, or nerve impulses by a nerve or other tissue.

Origin of conduction

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin conductiōn-, stem of conductiō “a bringing together, a hiring,” equivalent to conduct(us) “brought together” (past participle of condūcere “to lead, bring together”; see conduce) + -iō -ion

Other words from conduction

con·duc·tion·al, adjective
pre·con·duc·tion, noun

Words Nearby conduction

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use conduction in a sentence

Instead, the airflow may impart more heat to your skin via conduction than it removes via enhanced evaporation.
How Hot Is Too Hot to Run? | syadron | July 18, 2021 | Outside Online
The Zulu Exero features bone conduction technology that produces a light vibration against the upper cheekbone near your ear, so music is produced just for you, maintaining your situational awareness.
10 unique deals that you’ll find here with better than Amazon pricing | Quinn Gawronski | June 21, 2021 | Popular-Science
When water is poured into a teapot, some of its energy will move to the material in the pot through conduction.
Getting cozy with a science experiment | Bethany Brookshire | April 13, 2021 | Science News For Students
A more profound understanding of the conditions necessary for ideal conduction felt close, and with it, a tantalizing step toward an electronics revolution.
A New Twist Reveals Superconductivity’s Secrets | Charlie Wood | March 16, 2021 | Quanta Magazine
When you do stop, sit on your pack rather than the ground, to prevent heat conduction.
11 Ways to Stay Warm This Winter | Outside Editors | October 19, 2020 | Outside Online

I now know this was a conduction-style vaporizer, which requires a chamber to hold the steam.
This Is Your E-Cigarette on Drugs | Daniel Genis | July 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But a few decades ago this same ability to disrupt nerve conduction led to a medical use: deliberate, targeted paralysis.
The Deadliest Botox Has Arrived | Kent Sepkowitz | October 18, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
This small gap is a place of bad conduction and of the piling up of atoms, producing heat, burning, light.
Steam Steel and Electricity | James W. Steele
With regard to the conduction of sound—it is to be noted that sound is carried astonishingly far by means of compact bodies.
Criminal Psychology | Hans Gross
There is also a trophic differentiation, the fibres undertaking special functions of nutrition (the conduction of the sap).
The Wonders of Life | Ernst Haeckel
The whole question of conduction of electricity through the earth is very perplexing.
The Romance of War Inventions | Thomas W. Corbin
The transmission in the petiole of Mimosa is a phenomenon of conduction.
Life Movements in Plants | Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose

British Dictionary definitions for conduction

conduction

/ (kənˈdʌkʃən) /

noun

the transfer of energy by a medium without bulk movement of the medium itself: heat conduction,; electrical conduction,; sound conduction Compare convection (def. 1)
the transmission of an electrical or chemical impulse along a nerve fibre

the act of conveying or conducting, as through a pipe
physics another name for conductivity (def. 1)

Derived forms of conduction

conductional, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for conduction

conduction

[ kən-dŭk′shən ]

The transfer of energy, such as heat or an electric charge, through a substance. In heat conduction, energy is transferred from molecule to molecule by direct contact; the molecules themselves do not necessarily change position, but simply vibrate more or less quickly against each other. In electrical conduction, energy is transferred by the movement of electrons or ions. Compare convection. See also radiation.

a closer look

Heat is a form of energy that manifests itself in the motion of molecules and atoms, as well as subatomic particles. Heat energy can be transferred by conduction, convection, or radiation. In conduction heat spreads through a substance when faster atoms and molecules collide with neighboring slower ones, transferring some of their kinetic energy to them. This is how the handle of a teaspoon sticking out of a cup of hot tea eventually gets hot, though it is not in direct contact with the hot liquid. When a fluid is heated, portions of the fluid near the source of the heat tend to become less dense and expand outward, causing currents in the fluid. When these less dense regions rise, cooler portions flow in to take their place, which are then themselves subject to heating. This current flow is called convection. Many ocean currents are convection currents caused by the uneven heating of the ocean waters by the Sun. Radiation transmits heat in the form of electromagnetic waves, especially infrared waves, which have a lower frequency than visible light but a higher frequency than microwaves. Atoms and molecules in a substance struck by such radiation readily absorb the energy from these waves, thereby increasing their own kinetic energy and thus the temperature of the substance.

Cultural definitions for conduction

conduction

Transfer of energy through a medium (for example, heat or electricity through metal) without any apparent change in the medium.

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