insulator

noun

in·su·la·tor | \ ˈin(t)-sə-ˌlā-tər

Definition of insulator

: one that insulates: such as

a : a material that is a poor conductor (as of electricity or heat) — compare semiconductor

b : a device made of an electrical insulating material and used for separating or supporting conductors

Examples of insulator in a Sentence

Metal is not a good insulator.

Recent Examples on the Web

Crouch down on your feet and put an insulator between you and the ground (like a foam sleeping pad or even a backpack). — David Caraccio, sacbee, "Dramatic video shows lightning strike blowing off top of tree in Lassen," 4 June 2019 Glial cells, among other things, build sheaths of a fatty material called myelin, which acts as an insulator to isolate the electrical activity of nerve impulses. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "The genetics of education: 1,271 genes account for 10% of the variation," 25 July 2018 The hammocks were attached to walls with Velcro and came with an insulator for the bottom and blanket for the top. — Roger Simmons, The Seattle Times, "Apollo 11 astronauts were sleepless in the Sea of Tranquility on moon," 12 Apr. 2019 With an inner steel bottle, outer steel bottle and vacuum between, the natural insulator doesn’t give cold—or heat—a medium to travel. — Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, "Why Are Hydro Flask Bottles Suddenly Everywhere?," 23 Feb. 2019 Panels of polycarbonate, acrylic and fiberglass are resilient, good insulators and have excellent light transmission, although fiberglass can discolor over time. — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "How to Build a Greenhouse," 28 Jan. 2019 Under normal circumstances, the titanium/hafnium oxide layer would act like an insulator and block current flow at the intersection of the copper wires. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Memristors built with 2-nanometer-thick parts," 14 Nov. 2018 High-intensity lasers can also turn electrical insulators into conductors, precisely cut or drill holes in many different materials, or perform laser eye surgery. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "2018 physics Nobel Prize honors 3, including first woman in 55 years," 2 Oct. 2018 There was an earlier problem with an arcing insulator near the Stadium-Armory stop. — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, "Metro getting back to normal service, but delays remain," 23 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insulator.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.