Definify.com

Definition 2024

lightning_rod

lightning rod

English

Noun

lightning rod ‎(plural lightning rods)

A metallic conductor that is attached to a high point of a building and leads to the ground and protects the building from damage by lightning
(figuratively) A person or thing that is a target for negative reactions and distracts criticism from another target.

Synonyms

lightning conductor (British)

Translations

metallic conductor that protects from lightning

Armenian: շանթարգել (hy) ‎(šantʿargel)
Bashkir: йәшен ҡайтарғыс ‎(yäšen qaytarğïs)
Crimean Tatar: yaşınçeker
Czech: hromosvod m, bleskosvod m
Dutch: bliksemafleider (nl) m, donderroede (nl) f
Esperanto: fulmo vergo
Finnish: ukkosenjohdatin
French: paratonnerre (fr) m
German: Blitzableiter (de) m
Greek: αλεξικέραυνο (el) n ‎(alexikéravno)
Italian: parafulmine m
Japanese: 避雷針 (ja) ‎(ひらいしん, hiraishin)

Norwegian:

Bokmål: lynavleder m

Nynorsk: lynavleiar m
Polish: piorunochron (pl) m
Portuguese: para-raios (pt) m
Russian: громоотво́д (ru) m ‎(gromootvód), молниеотво́д (ru) m ‎(molnijeotvód)
Serbo-Croatian: gromobran (sh), munjobran, gromosvod
Slovene: strelovod (sl) m
Spanish: pararrayos (es) m
Swedish: åskledare c
Tagalog: kayag-kidlat, pararayos

metaphorically: person or thing that distracts criticism from another target

Czech: hromosvod m
Finnish: ukkosenjohdatin

Russian: стрелочник (ru) m ‎(streločnik), козёл отпуще́ния (ru) ‎(kozjól otpuščénija)