duct
duct Lexical Profile
duct Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A channel, tube, or pipe for conveying air, liquids, cables, or other substances, especially within a building or machine.
"The technician cleaned out the dusty ventilation duct to improve airflow throughout the office."
A bodily tube or vessel in an animal or plant that carries secreted or excreted fluids, such as tears, bile, or sap.
"A blocked tear duct can cause watery and irritated eyes in newborn infants."
• verb
To convey, channel, or direct air, liquid, or cables through a tube or conduit.
"Cool air is ducted directly from the central unit into each room of the building."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused in the compound "duct tape" versus "duck tape"; while the adhesive cloth tape was originally called "duck tape" after the cotton duck fabric it was made from, "duct tape" became the standard modern spelling due to its widespread use on heating and cooling ducts.
• Rhymes for duct
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Latin ductus, meaning "a leading" or "conduit," from the past participle stem of ducere ("to lead").