insulation
Americannoun
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Also called: insulant. material used to insulate a body, device, or region
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the act or process of insulating
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insulation
Explanation
Insulation is the process of keeping heat, sound, or electricity from spreading. It's also the material used to do so. If you can hear your neighbor snoring at night, you might need better sound insulation. Your thermos of hot chocolate stays warm when it's freezing outside because the thermos provides insulation. Similarly, the insulation in an ice chest keeps your sodas and food cool at the beach, even when you're being scorched by the sun. Insulation can also refer to a state of being detached or isolated. If you stay at home and avoid TV, the internet, and phone calls, you are in a state of insulation.
Vocabulary lists containing insulation
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
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Physical Science - Energy - Introductory
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Physics - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Agreements on LPG supplies and strategic petroleum reserves are the likely outcomes, providing India greater insulation from sudden price spikes and shipping disruptions," Wadhwa said.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Patricia Salt, 76, of Brentford, west London, had spray foam insulation installed in 2006 to make her house more energy efficient.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
The BBC has spoken to homeowners across the UK over many years who said their properties have been ruined by poorly installed insulation under ECO4.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
QXO announced a $17 billion acquisition of insulation firm TopBuild, expanding its building products capabilities.
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026
The peeling wooden clapboards were largely gone from the lower walls for firewood leaving the studs and the insulation exposed.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
