conduction

American  

[kuhn-duhk-shuhn] / kənˈdʌk ʃən /

noun

1. the act of conducting, as of water through a pipe.

2. Physics.

   1. the transfer of heat between two parts of a stationary system, caused by a temperature difference between the parts.

   2. transmission through a conductor.

   3. conductivity.

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

---

conduction British  

/ kənˈdʌkʃən /

noun

1. the transfer of energy by a medium without bulk movement of the medium itself Compare convection

   heat conduction,

   electrical conduction,

   sound conduction

2. the transmission of an electrical or chemical impulse along a nerve fibre

3. the act of conveying or conducting, as through a pipe

4. physics another name for conductivity

---

conduction Scientific  

/ kən-dŭk′shən /

1. 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.

2. Compare convection See also radiation

---

conduction Cultural  

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

---

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.

Other Word Forms

• conductional adjective
• preconduction noun

Etymology

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”; conduce ) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Conduction is when heat or electricity moves from one place to another. If you've ever felt a shock while putting on a sweater, you have participated in electrical conduction. From Latin conducere, to bring together, conduction used to mean "safe passage or guidance from one place to another." Today, it's only used to describe events in a scientific way. In addition to heat and electricity, conduction can be applied to sound. When you and your fellow prisoners tap on the pipes to plan your jailbreak, you are using sound conduction. Good luck with that, by the way.

Example Sentences

These signals arise from symmetry breaking caused by rapid ion transport and provide a reliable indicator of fast ionic conduction.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

To induce superconductivity in such elements, scientists must carefully alter their atomic structure to increase the number of electrons available for conduction.

From Science Daily • Oct. 30, 2025

She’s not surprised that axon beads could affect signal conduction and calls the finding a “compelling” discovery that adds to the mechanisms that make the brain so adaptable.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 2, 2024

Watanabe’s team modeled this interplay mathematically and also recorded the speed of signal conduction in real mouse neurons with different degrees of pearling.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 2, 2024

At the beginning of this century, for example, it was thought that everything could be explained in terms of the properties of continuous matter, such as elasticity and heat conduction.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Related Words

• captaincy
• captainship
• care
• coaching
• direction
• encouragement
• guardianship
• guidance
• initiative
• lead
• navigation
• overseeing
• pilotage
• piloting
• steering
• stewardship
• superintendence
• superintendency
• supervision