insulator

American  

[in-suh-ley-ter, ins-yuh-] / ˈɪn səˌleɪ tər, ˈɪns yə- /

noun

1. Electricity.

   1. a material of such low conductivity that the flow of current through it is negligible.

   2. insulating material, often glass or porcelain, in a unit form designed so as to support a charged conductor and electrically isolate it.

2. a person or thing that insulates.

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insulator British  

/ ˈɪnsjʊˌleɪtə /

noun

1. any material or device that insulates, esp a material with a very low electrical conductivity or thermal conductivity or something made of such a material

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insulator Scientific  

/ ĭn′sə-lā′tər /

1. A material or an object that does not easily allow heat, electricity, light, or sound to pass through it. Air, cloth and rubber are good electrical insulators; feathers and wool make good thermal insulators.

2. Compare conductor

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insulator Cultural  

1. A material that does not easily transmit energy, such as electric current (see also current) or heat. Materials such as wood, plastic, and ceramics are insulators. Fiberglass is an example of a heat insulator. (Compare conductor.)

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Other Word Forms

• noninsulator noun

Etymology

Origin of insulator

First recorded in 1795–1805; insulate + -or ²

Example Sentences

A typical double-hung window—even a double-glazed one—is so leaky, and such a poor insulator, that if your home were a bucket, your windows are effectively holes in it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Replacing them requires workers to remove bolts, fasteners, insulators and rail before each worn grout pad is demolished.

From Washington Post

At normal pressures, the oxygen atoms in rocks, for example, act like insulators that cannot conduct electricity.

From Scientific American

This gas is a great insulator - handy in a fridge but not in the atmosphere.

From BBC

PAC Worldwide makes plastic envelopes, bubble wrap, and insulators for shipping.

From Washington Times