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
Derived 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.
On top of that, squirrels and mice have damaged the insulation.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Before the changes, energy bills in England, Scotland and Wales included additional charges to help fund insulation for low-income households, and subsidise green energy projects such as wind farms and solar panels.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Navigating around the crater, Al-Ahmad trudged into the blown-out remains of the hall, his feet crunching on an underbrush of glass, wood splinters and insulation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
"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
Just inside that is insulation, which is covered by hard plastic.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
