heat sink

noun

: a substance or device that absorbs or dissipates especially unwanted heat (as from a process or an electronic device)

Examples of heat sink in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
O’Fallon compared it to the fins on a computer’s heat sink. Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025 To keep the passengers and crew from boiling inside, the craft’s air conditioning system used its jet fuel as a heat sink. Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 29 Mar. 2024 Most required aggressive cooling measures, whether that was clumsy heat sinks or little fans. John Burek, PC Magazine, 26 May 2025 Get some isopropyl alcohol, dab it on a lint-free wipe, and clean the processor and heat sink. Brad Bourque, Wired News, 9 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for heat sink

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heat sink was in 1936

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heat sink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20sink. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on heat sink

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!