duct
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a pipe or tube used to move air, liquid, or wires through a building or machine.
n.a pipe, tube, or channel which conveys a substance or encloses electrical cables.
Simple“The engineers had to crawl through the air duct to fix the ventilation system.”
In context“The architectural plans clearly indicate the placement of the heating ducts within the floor joists to maximise energy efficiency.”
UsageOften used in compound nouns like 'air duct' or 'cable duct'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a small tube in a person, animal, or plant that carries a liquid like tears or sap.
n.a bodily passage or vessel, especially one that conveys a secretion such as bile, tears, or lymph.
Simple“When you cry, tears flow from a small duct in the corner of your eye.”
In context“A blockage in the bile duct can lead to significant digestive complications and requires immediate medical intervention.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a layer in the air or sea that traps and carries radio or sound waves.
n.a layer in the atmosphere or ocean that, under specific conditions, confines and propagates radio or sound waves along a restricted path.
Simple“The radio signal travelled much further than usual because of an atmospheric duct.”
In context“Tropospheric ducting can occasionally allow VHF signals to be received hundreds of miles beyond their normal line-of-sight range.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to send air or gas through a system of pipes.
v.to channel or propagate a substance or wave through a duct or series of ducts.
Simple“The exhaust gases are ducted away from the engine to keep the cabin cool.”
In context“The design requires the heated air to be ducted directly into the primary combustion chamber to improve thermal efficiency.”
UsageUsually used in the passive voice.
“Lloyd’s is famous for its exposed concrete frame and the six external steel towers that house its staircases, lifts, pipes and ducts.”
“As the liquid moves through a narrowing duct, water is removed, the pH falls and the balance of ions changes.”
Borrowed from Latin ductus (“leading, conducting”, noun), from dūcō (“to lead, conduct, draw”) + -tus (action noun suffix). Doublet of ductus and douit. Also via Medieval Latin ductus (“a conveyance of water; a channel”), which itself has the first mentioned etymology.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.