duct

American  

[duhkt] / dʌkt /

noun

1. any tube, canal, pipe, or conduit by which a fluid, air, or other substance is conducted or conveyed.

2. Anatomy, Zoology. a tube, canal, or vessel conveying a body fluid, especially a glandular secretion or excretion.

3. Botany. a cavity or vessel formed by elongated cells or by many cells.

4. Electricity. a single enclosed runway for conductors or cables.

5. Printing. (in a press) the reservoir for ink.

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verb (used with object)

1. to convey or channel by means of a duct or ducts.

   Heat from the oven is ducted to the outside.

duct British  

/ dʌkt /

noun

1. a tube, pipe, or canal by means of which a substance, esp a fluid or gas, is conveyed

2. any bodily passage, esp one conveying secretions or excretions

3. a narrow tubular cavity in plants, often containing resin or some other substance

4. Also called: conduit.  a channel or pipe carrying electric cable or wires

5. a passage through which air can flow, as in air conditioning

6. the ink reservoir in a printing press

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duct Scientific  

/ dŭkt /

1. A tube or tubelike structure through which something flows, especially a tube in the body for carrying a fluid secreted that is by a gland.

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Other Word Forms

• ductless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of duct

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin ductus “conveyance (of water),” hence “channel” (in Medieval Latin ), equivalent to duc- (variant stem of dūcere “to lead”) + -tus suffix of verbal action

Explanation

A duct is a pipe, tube, or tunnel through which water can flow. If there's a leaking duct in your kitchen, you may need to patch it or replace it — in any event, you should probably call a plumber. Liquids can move through a duct, and when the duct is in a person's body, like a tear duct or a pancreatic duct, it has the same purpose — tears, for example, flow through tear ducts. Some ducts aid the flow of substances other than liquids, like the air ducts that blow warm air from your furnace into the rooms of your house. Duct tape, often incorrectly called "duck tape," is tape that's used for repairing ducts.

Example Sentences

Duct tape is also how one council tenant in west London told us he had tried to make his windows safer, because he was so worried about his nine-year-old daughter.

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025

Duct work and piping were ripped from the walls.

From Washington Times • Jan. 29, 2020

Duct tape and carpet tacks were ripped up, and the team lifted an enormous floor cloth painted with cobblestones and folded it faster than most people can manage a fitted sheet.

From New York Times • Oct. 25, 2019

"Glue? Duct tape? What is happening?" one Twitter user asked.

From Fox News • Dec. 17, 2018

Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• conduit
• tube