duct

UK: /ˈdʌkt/ US: /dʌkt/ ,(dukt)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

duct /dʌkt/   n. [countable]

1. Building a tube, canal, or pipe by which a substance is conducted or carried:
   The hero escapes by climbing through the air ducts and out of the building.
2. Anatomy, Zoology a tube carrying bodily liquids:
   tear ducts.
3. Electricity a single enclosed passage for electrical wires or cables.

duct•less, adj. See -duc-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

duct  (dukt), n. 

1. Building any tube, canal, pipe, or conduit by which a fluid, air, or other substance is conducted or conveyed.
2. Anatomy, Zoology a tube, canal, or vessel conveying a body fluid, esp. a glandular secretion or excretion.
3. Botany a cavity or vessel formed by elongated cells or by many cells.
4. Electricity a single enclosed runway for conductors or cables.
5. Printing (in a press) the reservoir for ink.

v.t. 

6. Building to convey or channel by means of a duct or ducts:
   Heat from the oven is ducted to the outside.

• Latin ductus conveyance (of water), hence channel (in Medieval Latin), equivalent. to duc- (variant stem of dūcere to lead) + -tus suffix of verbal action
• 1640–50

duct′less, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

duct / dʌkt/ noun

1. a tube, pipe, or canal by means of which a substance, esp a fluid or gas, is conveyed
2. any bodily passage, esp one conveying secretions or excretions
3. a narrow tubular cavity in plants, often containing resin or some other substance
4. Also called: conduit a channel or pipe carrying electric cable or wires
5. a passage through which air can flow, as in air conditioning
6. the ink reservoir in a printing press

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin ductus a leading (in Medieval Latin: aqueduct), from dūcere to lead

ˈductless adjective