0 a strip of metal, going from the highest point of a building to the ground, that prevents lightning from damaging the building by taking the electricity to the ground before it can reach a dangerous level
1 someone or something that takes all the blame or criticism in a situation, although other people or things are responsible too:
The first lightning conductors on ships were supposed to be hoisted when lightning was anticipated, and had a low success rate.
It must act like the lightning conductor which arrests destructive electric potentials and channels them to earth.
A sepoy here was trying to remove a silver fork from one of his lungs, another had received a piece of lightning conductor in his kidneys.
A detailed inspection and repairs to the lightning conductor were carried out as soon as possible.
There must have been; lightning conductor to justify this expedition.
The reaction against intensification underlies the argument about genetically modified food, which has become the lightning conductor for the wider concern of intensified agriculture.
Come to think of it, he looks a bit like a lightning conductor.
One always has to have some kind of lightning conductor by which to transfer one's fears to earth.
