Real Dictionary

insulate
verb: If a person or group is insulated from the rest of society or from outside influences, they are protected from them.
verb: If a piece of equipment is insulated, it is covered with rubber or plastic to prevent electricity passing through it and giving the person using it an electric shock.
verb: To insulate something such as a building means to protect it from cold or noise by covering it or surrounding it in a thick layer.

insulate in American English
to set apart; detach from the rest; isolate
transitive verb: to cover, line, or separate with a material that prevents or reduces the passage, transfer, or leakage of heat, electricity, or sound

insulate in British English
to prevent or reduce the transmission of electricity, heat, or sound to or from (a body, device, or region) by surrounding with a nonconducting material