insulate

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. verb protect from heat, cold, or noise by surrounding with insulating material
  2. verb place or set apart

Etymology

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.

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