DictionaryRoot: con-
Latin

con-

together, with; sometimes thoroughly

Forms

  • con-
  • com- — Used before certain consonants, especially b, p, and m.
  • col- — The final consonant changed before l.
  • cor- — The final consonant changed before r.
  • co- — The final consonant was lost in some combinations.

Origin

From Latin cum, “with,” and an older form com-.

Note

Togetherness could extend to completeness. Not every word containing this prefix retains an obvious “with” meaning.

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noun

conduit

KAHN-doo-it/ˈkɑːnduɪt/

A passage carrying something from one place to another.

The underground conduit carries insulated electrical cables through the masonry wall.

A cutaway view of a sturdy underground conduit pipe carrying a neatly bundled set of insulated colored electrical cables through a masonry wall, the pipe's protective channel clearly encloses cables and continues beyond wall.
Etymology

The underlying image is leading or bringing together: a conduit guides something along a route. Its ancestor meant both “a leading” and “a pipe,” connecting guidance with a physical channel or a broader means of conveyance.

In context

Hanover Oak0:00
whenever you're running a conduit up a wall to an electrical box I see a lot of people just run it straight in like this kind of at an angle
How to Bend PVC Electrical Conduit with a Heat Gun || Offset Bend

More examples

  • The electrician runs wires through a protective conduit.
  • Debris blocks the conduits that carry water beneath the road.
  • The liaison serves as a conduit for information between departments.

Forms

conduit · conduits

Similar words

pipe
Usually a rigid tube that carries liquids or gases.
channel
Can be an open route rather than an enclosed passage.
duct
Often carries air through a building's heating or cooling system.