- a tall metal pole placed high on a structure, as a building or tower, and attached to a ground so as to attract lightning and protect the structure from damage
- a person or thing that attracts controversy, strong feelings, etc. and diverts them from some other potential object or target
lightning rod
lightning rodWebster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"lightning rod." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/lightning-rod>.
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lightning rod. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/lightning-rod
lightning rod
noun
- A grounded metal rod placed high on a structure to prevent damage by conducting lightning to the ground.
- One that attracts criticism, often in such a way that criticism is diverted from something else.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"lightning rod." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/lightning-rod>.
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lightning rod. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/lightning-rod
A grounded metal rod placed high on a structure to conduct electrical current from a lightning strike directly to the ground, preventing the currents from injuring people or animals or from damaging objects. Lightning rods usually have a sharp, pointed tip, since electric lines of force are more highly concentrated around pointed objects, in this case increasing the attractiveness of the rod compared with other nearby objects.
See also Saint Elmo's fire
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MLA Style
"lightning rod." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/lightning-rod>.
APA Style
lightning rod. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/lightning-rod
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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MLA Style
"lightning rod." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/lightning-rod>.
APA Style
lightning rod. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/lightning-rod
