heat sink

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noun

Thermodynamics. any environment or medium that absorbs heat.

Also heatsink .Electronics. 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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Origin of heat sink

First recorded in 1935–40

Words nearby heat sink

heat reservoir, heat-seal, heat-seeking, heat shield, heat shock protein, heat sink, heatstroke, heat-treat, heat up, heat urticaria, heat wave

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use heat sink in a sentence

One is by “optimizing” its passive heat sinks—the diecast aluminum with the ridges on the sides of the battery pack.
This sleek electric motorcycle uses new battery tech for longer rides|Rob Verger|November 4, 2021|Popular-Science
During those late hours, I read books online about theories in Web designing, the material properties of heat sinks, on static pressure fans and how they compared to air flow fans in mechanical part cooling.
Traditional school isn’t always the way to go, and I wish my parents had seen that earlier|Kenneth R. Rosen|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
I knew it was going to be larger because I know how much power there was going to be, so I knew how much air flow you would need and how much space for a heat sink.
PS5 designer: ‘When I started drawing, it was much larger’|Joe Moore|November 9, 2020|Washington Post
On a more granular cooling level, Sony has added a thermal layer between the chip and its heat sink to make cooling more stable—the company says this took two years to develop.
Watch Sony crack open a PS5 console|Stan Horaczek|October 7, 2020|Popular-Science

But while he was up there riffing about Steiger, he looked like he did in the Big Heat.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The movie we went to that Friday night in 1953 was The Big Heat.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
At the same time, the heaviest parts—the main fuselage, the engines and wings—sink to the bottom.
Did Bad Weather Bring Down AirAsia 8501?|Clive Irving|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, high-sided cast iron skillet.
Make Carla Hall’s Crispy Shallot Green Bean Casserole|Carla Hall|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While the beans are cooling and drying, melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat.
Make Carla Hall’s Crispy Shallot Green Bean Casserole|Carla Hall|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The heat of drunkenness is the stumblingblock of the fool, lessening strength and causing wounds.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
It was very warm, and for a while they did nothing but exchange remarks about the heat, the sun, the glare.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Tobacco is a strong growing plant resisting heat and drought to a far (p. 018) greater extent than most plants.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
A present remedy of all is the speedy coming of a cloud, and a dew that meeteth it, by the heat that cometh, shall overpower it.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Captain Vane came from the observatory, his face blazing with excitement and oily with heat, to announce the fact.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for heat sink

heat sink

noun

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

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

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 heat sink

heat sink

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

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.

Cultural definitions for heat sink

heat sink

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

notes for heat sink

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.