A tube or passageway in a building or machine for air, liquid, cables, or other material. A channel in the body through which liquid passes.
From Latin 'ductus' (a leading, conducting), the past participle of 'ducere' (to lead). The word entered English in the 17th century directly from Latin, referring to any channel that leads or conducts substances from one place to another.
A 'duct' is pure function — it's simply something that 'leads' air, water, or other materials where they need to go! Whether it's an air duct in your house or a bile duct in your body, it's doing exactly what the Latin root suggests: leading substances along a path.
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