INSULATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does insulation mean? 

• INSULATION (noun)
  The noun INSULATION has 3 senses:

1. the state of being isolated or detached

2. insulating material that reduces or prevents the transmission of heat or sound or electricity

3. the act of protecting something by surrounding it with material that reduces or prevents the transmission of sound or heat or electricity

  Familiarity information: INSULATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INSULATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The state of being isolated or detached

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

detachment; insularism; insularity; insulation

Context example:

the insulation of England was preserved by the English Channel

Hypernyms ("insulation" is a kind of...):

isolation (a state of separation between persons or groups)

Derivation:

insulate (place or set apart)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Insulating material that reduces or prevents the transmission of heat or sound or electricity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

insulant; insulation

Hypernyms ("insulation" is a kind of...):

building material (material used for constructing buildings)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "insulation"):

lagging (insulation used to wrap around pipes or boilers or laid in attics to prevent loss of heat)

corkboard (a heat-insulating building material consisting of cork granules that are made into sheets by compressing and baking)

Derivation:

insulate (protect from heat, cold, or noise by surrounding with insulating material)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of protecting something by surrounding it with material that reduces or prevents the transmission of sound or heat or electricity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("insulation" is a kind of...):

protection (the activity of protecting someone or something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "insulation"):

lining (the act of attaching an inside lining (to a garment or curtain etc.))

Derivation:

insulate (protect from heat, cold, or noise by surrounding with insulating material)

 Context examples 

Tests to determine whether a device's insulation has the strength to prevent any current from reaching the operator.

(Device Line Voltage Testing Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

A supporting cell that provides insulation to nerve cells by forming a myelin sheath (a fatty layer) around axons.

(Oligodendrocyte, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Asbestos has been used as insulation against heat and fire in buildings.

(Asbestos, NCI Dictionary)

Material used on the surfaces of a prepared cavity for protection and insulation of the tooth tissues prior to placement of a restoration.

(Dental Base, NCI Thesaurus)

It was once used widely as insulation.

(Asbestos, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)

One of a number of fibrous magnesium and calcium silicate minerals processed for thermal insulation and fireproofing.

(Asbestos, NCI Thesaurus)

A device that has inadequate or incorrect insulation material.

(Device Insulation Problem Evaluation Result, Food and Drug Administration)

Insulation failure manifests as low lead impedance either absolutely (below manufacturer's product specifications) or by a significant decrease from previously stable chronic values.

(Cardiac Lead Insulation Failure, NCI Thesaurus/ACC)

A material applied to the inside of the dental cavity, for protection or insulation of the surface.

(Dental Liner Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

They not only provide physical support, but also respond to injury, regulate the ionic and chemical composition of the extracellular milieu, participate in the blood-brain and blood-retina barriers, form the myelin insulation of nervous pathways, guide neuronal migration during development, and exchange metabolites with neurons.

(Glial cell, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)