heat sink

noun

1. Thermodynamics. any environment or medium that absorbs heat.
2. Also heatsink. Electronics. a metallic heat exchanger designed to absorb and dissipate excess heat from one of the devices, as a transistor or resistor, in a circuit.

heat sink

noun

1. a metal plate specially designed to conduct and radiate heat from an electrical component
2. a layer of material placed within the outer skin of high-speed aircraft to absorb heat

heat sink

1. A protective device that absorbs and dissipates the excess heat generated by a system.
2. An environment capable of absorbing heat from substances within it (and with which it is in thermal contact) without an appreciable change in its own temperature and without a change in its own phase.

heat sink

1. A reservoir for excess heat, especially in a mechanical or electrical device.

Notes

One obstacle to the loading of circuits onto microprocessors is the heat generated by electrical circuits . Effective heat sinks, such as metal fins on top of a microprocessor, can provide part of the solution to this problem.

Word History and Origins

Origin of heat sink¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

However, his findings indicatethat far from acting as insulation, the mantle instead acts like a heat sink -- dissipating the heat away from the centre.

From Science Daily

Conventional heat sinks passively draw heat away from hotspots, but it has remained a challenge to find a more dynamic control to actively regulate heat.

From Science Daily

This layer of thinset acts as a heat sink and helps to ensure the temperature of the floor is distributed evenly, so that no matter where your foot steps, the floor is toasty warm.

From Seattle Times

The world’s oceans are massive heat sinks—they absorb as much as 90 percent of the excess heat in the atmosphere.

From Scientific American

“You can stack many more printed circuit boards in the same volume when you are using our coating, compared to if you are using conventional liquid- or air-cooled heat sinks,” the study explains.

From The Verge