conduto

Conduto is a noun used in several Romance languages to denote a channel or passage that directs the flow of a substance. In engineering and architecture, it is commonly translated as conduit or duct and can refer to both artificial structures and natural channels. The term covers a range of forms designed to convey fluids, gases, electrical cables, or other materials.

In civil engineering and building services, condutos are employed to route water, sewage, air, or cables through a building or infrastructure. Typical examples include water conduits, sewer conduits, ventilation ducts, and electrical conduits. They are usually made from materials suited to the conveyed medium, such as PVC, steel, concrete, or reinforced polymers, and may run underground, within walls, or as separate shafts.

In biology and anatomy, condutos (ducts) describe channels that transport secretions or fluids within organisms. Examples include ducts associated with glands or exocrine systems, as well as pathways such as tear ducts or bile ducts, where fluids are directed from one region to another for processing or release.

Etymology and usage reflect its Latin roots, with conduere meaning to lead or bring together. The term has been adopted into several Romance languages to describe both man-made channels and natural passages, maintaining a broad, neutral sense of a channel or tube designed to convey substances.