Conduct: Behaviour, Leading an Orchestra, and Carrying Current
Conduct means behaviour, and also the act of leading or carrying out something. In physics it is the ability to carry heat or electricity.
Conduct is about leading things along. The noun and verb are stressed differently, which is a useful signal: CON-duct is what you do, con-DUCT is how you lead — an orchestra, an investigation, or an electric current.
- Behaviour (noun). *A code of conduct.*
- To carry out (verb). *They conducted a survey.*
- To lead an orchestra. *She conducted the symphony.*
- To carry heat or current. *Copper conducts electricity well.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | conduct | Professional conduct. |
| Verb | conduct | Conduct the interview. |
| Person | conductor | The conductor raised the baton. |
| Noun | conduction | Heat conduction. |
| Adjective | conductive | A conductive material. |
How it is used in a sentence
- His conduct was referred to the disciplinary panel.The noun — stress on the first syllable.
- The inquiry was conducted in private.The verb — stress on the second.
- Metals conduct heat far better than wood.Physics, and the reason a metal spoon burns your fingers.
The many conductors
- Orchestral conductor — leads the players
- Bus or train conductor — collects fares, and in America runs the train
- Electrical conductor — a material that carries current
- Lightning conductor — carries a strike safely to earth; also a person who attracts blame
- All four lead something along a path, which is exactly what the Latin says
From Latin *conducere*, to bring together or lead, from *com* and *ducere*, to lead. The same *ducere* runs through produce, reduce, introduce and duke — a whole family of leading.
Conduct or behaviour?
They overlap. Conduct is more formal and appears in rules and disciplinary language; behaviour is the everyday word.
What is a lightning conductor?
A metal rod that gives a strike a safe path to earth. Americans call it a lightning rod, and both are used figuratively for someone who attracts criticism.