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Webster 1913 Edition

Conductor

Con-duct′or

(kŏn-dŭk′tẽr)
,
Noun.
[LL., a carrier, transporter, L., a lessee.]
1.
One who, or that which, conducts; a leader; a commander; a guide; a manager; a director.
Zeal, the blind
conductor
of the will.
Dryden.
2.
One in charge of a public conveyance, as of a railroad train or a street car.
[U. S.]
3.
(Mus.)
The leader or director of an orchestra or chorus.
4.
(Physics)
A substance or body capable of being a medium for the transmission of certain forces, esp. heat or electricity; specifically, a lightning rod.
5.
(Surg.)
A grooved sound or staff used for directing instruments, as lithontriptic forceps, etc.; a director.
6.
(Arch.)
Same as
Leader
.
Prime conductor
(Elec.)
,
the largest conductor of an electrical machine, serving to collect, accumulate, or retain the electricity.

Webster 1828 Edition

Conductor

CONDUCTOR

,
Noun.
1.
A leader; a guide; one who goes before or accompanies, and shows the way.
2.
A chief; a commander; one who leads an army or a people.
3.
A director; a manager.
4.
In surgery, an instrument which serves to direct the knife in cutting for the stone, and in laying up sinuses and fistulas; also, a machine to secure a fractured limb.
5.
In electrical experiments, any body that receives and communicates electricity; such as metals and moist substances. Bodies which repel it, or into which it will not pass, are called non-conductors. Hence,
6.
A metallic rod erected by buildings or in ships, to conduct lightning to the earth or water, and protect the building from its effects.

Definition 2024

conductor

conductor

English

Alternative forms

Noun

conductor ‎(plural conductors, feminine conductress)

  1. One who conducts or leads; a guide; a director.
    • Dryden
      Zeal, the blind conductor of the will.
  2. (music) A person who conducts an orchestra, choir or other music ensemble; a professional whose occupation is conducting.
  3. A person who takes tickets on public transportation and also helps passengers
    train conductor; tram conductor
  4. Something that can transmit electricity, heat, light or sound.
  5. (mathematics) An ideal of a ring that measures how far it is from being integrally closed
    • 1988, F van Oystaeyen, Lieven Le Bruyn, Perspectives in ring theory
      If c is the conductor ideal for R in R then prime ideals not containing c correspond to localizations yielding discrete valuation rings.
  6. A grooved sound or staff used for directing instruments, such as lithontriptic forceps; a director.
  7. (architecture) A leader.

Antonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin conductor, conductorem ‎(“contractor, employer”).

Adjective

conductor m ‎(feminine conductora, masculine plural conductors, feminine plural conductores)

  1. driving
  2. conducting

Noun

conductor m ‎(plural conductors)

  1. driver
  2. (physics) conductor

Related terms

Latin

Etymology

From condūcō ‎(“I lead”) +‎ -tor.

Pronunciation

Noun

conductor m ‎(genitive conductōris); third declension

  1. employer, entrepreneur
  2. contractor
  3. (physics) conductor (of heat, electricity etc)

Inflection

Third declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative conductor conductōrēs
genitive conductōris conductōrum
dative conductōrī conductōribus
accusative conductōrem conductōrēs
ablative conductōre conductōribus
vocative conductor conductōrēs

Descendants

References

Portuguese

Noun

conductor m (plural conductores, feminine conductora, feminine plural conductoras)

  1. Obsolete form of condutor.

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin conductor, conductorem ‎(“contractor, employer”).

Noun

conductor m ‎(plural conductores, feminine conductora)

  1. driver
  2. conductor (transmitter of electricity, heat, light or sound)

Related terms

See also

Etymology

Borrowing from Middle French conductour, from Old French conduitor, from Latin conductor.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kənˈdʌktɚ/

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