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Definition of heat sink

heat sink

Plural:heat sinks
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• noun

1

A physical device or substance designed to absorb and dissipate heat from a hot object, such as a computer processor or other electronic component, to prevent overheating.

Example

"The technician applied thermal paste before securely attaching the aluminum heat sink to the motherboard's processor."

2

An expansive environment or medium, such as an ocean or the atmosphere, that absorbs and stores thermal energy from a system without undergoing a significant change in temperature.

Example

"The world's oceans act as a massive natural heat sink, absorbing much of the excess thermal energy generated by climate change."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Nearby Words

hearty
heat
heat gun
heat sink
heatable
heated
heatedly

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Heat sink. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/heat-sink
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