heat sink

American  

noun

1. Thermodynamics. any environment or medium that absorbs heat.

2. Electronics. Also heatsink a metallic heat exchanger designed to absorb and dissipate excess heat from one of the devices, as a transistor or resistor, in a circuit.

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heat sink British  

noun

1. a metal plate specially designed to conduct and radiate heat from an electrical component

2. a layer of material placed within the outer skin of high-speed aircraft to absorb heat

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heat sink Scientific  

1. A protective device that absorbs and dissipates the excess heat generated by a system.

2. An environment capable of absorbing heat from substances within it (and with which it is in thermal contact) without an appreciable change in its own temperature and without a change in its own phase.

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heat sink Cultural  

1. A reservoir for excess heat, especially in a mechanical or electrical device.

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Discover More

One obstacle to the loading of circuits onto microprocessors is the heat generated by electrical circuits. Effective heat sinks, such as metal fins on top of a microprocessor, can provide part of the solution to this problem.

Etymology

Origin of heat sink

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

But he realised the falcons were having no success because they had laid their eggs in a metal gutter, which acts as a heat sink, drawing warmth away from the nest.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

The paper states: "The cluster mantle does not meet any the four insulation criteria identified and meets all three heat sink criteria."

From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2023

They’re thicker than your average flagship phone due to bigger batteries, a heat sink, and several other components that you probably won’t find in phones made by Google, Apple, or Samsung.

From The Verge • Apr. 26, 2022

Vegetation that would be a heat sink when wet becomes fuel when dry.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 6, 2021

I had decided to line the interior of the nozzle with a veneer of water putty, an inspiration that I hoped would act as an ablative heat sink.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam