Conductor

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kÉ™nˈdÊŒktÉš/

Alternative forms

• conductour obsolete

Origin

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

Full definition of conductor

Noun

1. One who conducts or leads; a guide; a director.
• DrydenZeal, 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.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 theoryIf 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

• non-conductor (3), nonconductor (3), insulator (3)

Derived terms

• lightning conductor

Related terms

• conduct
• semiconductor, dielectric