Main Entry: ¹duct

Pronunciation: \ˈdəkt\

Function: noun

Etymology: New Latin ductus, from Medieval Latin, aqueduct, from Latin, act of leading, from ducere to lead — more at tow

Date: 1667

1 : a bodily tube or vessel especially when carrying the secretion of a gland
2 a : a pipe, tube, or channel that conveys a substance b : a pipe or tubular runway for carrying an electric power line, telephone cables, or other conductors
3 : a tube or elongated cavity (as a xylem vessel) in plant tissue
4 : a layer (as in the atmosphere or the ocean) which occurs under usually abnormal conditions and in which radio or sound waves are confined to a restricted path

— duc·tal \ˈdək-t^əl\ adjective

— duct·less \ˈdək(t)-ləs\ adjective