insulate
UK /ˈɪnsjʊleɪt/ · US /ˈɪnsʊleɪt/ verb, adjective
Forms insulates insulating insulated
- verb To separate, detach, or isolate.
- verb To separate a body or material from others, e.g. by non-conductors to prevent the transfer of electricity, heat, etc. “Ceramic can be used to insulate power lines.”
- adjective Of pollen or spores, with superficial ornamentation grouped in circular or polygonal areas separated by grooves.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin īnsula (“isle, island”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix) or from Late Latin īnsulātus (“made an island”), see etymology at -ate. First attested in the 16th century; the general verb īnsulō (“insulate”) is attested only in New Latin and postdates the English term, but influence from an otherwise unattested Medieval Latin counterpart cannot be ruled out. Piecewise doublet of isolate.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To make an island of. [Obs.] Pennant.
- verb To place in a detached situation, or in a state having no communication with surrounding objects; to isolate; to separate.
Etymology [L. insulatus insulated, fr. insula island. See Isle, and cf. Isolate.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “insulate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details