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# insulator

«insulator» in Mova's school dictionary: **a material that does not let heat pass through it easily…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (an insulator, insulators)

### meaning for a pupil

1) An insulator is a material that does not let heat pass through it easily, like wool, plastic foam or air. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insulator/#m1)

2) An insulator is also a material that does not let electricity flow through it, like plastic, rubber, wood or glass. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insulator/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In science lessons, children test materials as good or poor insulators: thermal insulators keep heat in (hot drinks in a flask, a woolly hat, house insulation) or keep heat out (a cool box for ice). Electrical insulators keep us safe: plastic covers on wires and plugs stop electricity reaching our hands. The opposite is a conductor (metals conduct both heat and electricity well). Phrases: «a good insulator», «a poor insulator», «thermal insulator», «electrical insulator».

### examples

- Plastic is a good electrical insulator. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insulator/#x1)
- The plastic coating on the wire is an insulator. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insulator/#x2)
- Wool is a good insulator, so it keeps us warm. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insulator/#x3)
- We tested which material was the best insulator for keeping ice from melting. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insulator/#x4)
- Metal is a conductor, not an insulator. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insulator/#x5)
- Air trapped in feathers is a great insulator. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insulator/#x6)
- Polar bears' thick fur and fat are insulators. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insulator/#x7)
- Wooden spoon handles are insulators, so they don't get hot. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insulator/#x8)

### note

Countable: «an insulator» (vowel, so «an»). Opposite: «conductor». Verb: «insulate»; noun: «insulation». Myth: a coat does not make heat; it is an insulator that keeps your own body heat in. Water with salts in it can conduct electricity, so wet insulators may be unsafe.

### In the corpora

- [Wood, plastic, wool, cork and still air are poor conductors of heat, called insulators.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/18-materials-and-properties/9/)
- [Insulators also keep cold things cold, like food in a cool box.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/18-materials-and-properties/11/)
- [Ice and snow are good insulators and slow down the cooling of whatever is under them.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/20-reasoning-water-and-matter/9/)
- [Plastic, rubber, wood and glass are insulators.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/55-electricity/15/)
- [Air trapped in wool, feathers or double windows is a good insulator.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/60-reasoning-energy-technology/16/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «insulator» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insulator/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.