Meanings
present singular third person insulates · participle present insulating · participle past insulated · past insulated
- To separate a body or material from others, e.g. by non-conductors to prevent the transfer of electricity, heat, etc.
Ceramic can be used to insulate power lines.
- not comparableOf pollen or spores, with superficial ornamentation grouped in circular or polygonal areas separated by grooves.
Among nonwinged grains, the sexine is rugulate, insulate, or microverrucate.
1983, Walter H. Lewis, Prathibha Vinay, Vincent E. Zenger, Airborne and Allergenic Pollen of North America, page 2391 more example
Pollen insulate when the elements are grouped in circular or polygonal areas separated by grooves.
[2017, Bee Products – Chemical and Biological Properties
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Late Latinīnsulātus“made an island”
- Englishinsulate
From Latin īnsula (“isle, island”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix) or from Late Latin īnsulātus (“made an island”), see etymology at -ate. First attested in the 16th century; the general verb īnsulō (“insulate”) is attested only in New Latin and postdates the English term, but influence from an otherwise unattested Medieval Latin counterpart cannot be ruled out. Piecewise doublet of isolate.
More words from Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian отделям, изолирам
- отделям (otdeljam)to separate or detach
- изолирам (izoliram)to separate or detach
- изолирам (izoliram)to separate in order to prevent a transfer
Catalan aïllar, isolar
- aïllarto separate or detach
- isolarto separate or detach
- aïllarto separate in order to prevent a transfer
- isolarto separate in order to prevent a transfer
Dutch isoleren
- isolerento separate in order to prevent a transfer
Esperanto izoli
- izolito separate or detach
Finnish eristää, eristää
- eristääto separate or detach
- eristääto separate in order to prevent a transfer
French isoler, isoler
- isolerto separate or detach
- isolerto separate in order to prevent a transfer
German isolieren, isolieren
- isolierento separate or detach
- isolierento separate in order to prevent a transfer
Hebrew בידד, בִּדֵּד
- בידדto separate in order to prevent a transfer
- בִּדֵּד (bidéd)to separate in order to prevent a transfer
Japanese 切り離す, 隔絶する
- 切り離す (kirihanasu)to separate or detach
- 隔絶する (kakuzetsu suru)to separate or detach
- 孤立させる (koritsu saseru)to separate or detach
- 絶縁する (zetsuen suru)to separate in order to prevent a transfer
Māori ārai
- āraito separate or detach
Polish izolować, izolować
- izolowaćto separate or detach
- izolowaćto separate in order to prevent a transfer
Portuguese isolar, isolar
- isolarto separate or detach
- isolarto separate in order to prevent a transfer
- insularto separate in order to prevent a transfer
Romanian izola, izola
- izolato separate or detach
- izolato separate in order to prevent a transfer
Russian изоли́ровать
- изоли́ровать (izolírovatʹ)to separate in order to prevent a transfer
Spanish aislar, aislar
- aislarto separate or detach
- aislarto separate in order to prevent a transfer
Swedish isolera, isolera
- isolerato separate or detach
- isolerato separate in order to prevent a transfer
Cite this entry
insulate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insulate
“insulate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insulate. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “insulate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insulate.
Source: insulate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.