A lightning conductor is a long thin piece of metal on top of a building that attracts lightning and allows it to reach the ground safely.
[British]regional note: in AM, use lightning rod
lightning conductor in British English
or lightning rod
noun
a metal strip terminating in a series of sharp points, attached to the highest part of a building, etc, to discharge the electric field before it can reach a dangerous level and cause a lightning strike
Examples of 'lightning conductor' in a sentence
lightning conductor
Fabienne says the thunderstorms are terrible in summer, though there is a lightning conductor on the chateau, of course.
various & introduction by Deirdre Chapman A ROOMFUL OF BIRDS - SCOTTISH SHORT STORIES 1990