lightning rod vs actor

lightning rod and actor both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
lightning rod	Yes	No	No	No
actor	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, actor is a hypernym of lightning rod; that is, actor is a word with a broader meaning than lightning rod:

lightning rod: someone who is a frequent target of negative reactions and serves to distract attention from another
actor: a person who acts and gets things done

Other hypernyms of lightning rod include doer, worker.

lightning rod (noun)	actor (noun)
a metallic conductor that is attached to a high point and leads to the ground; protects the building from destruction by lightning	a theatrical performer
someone who is a frequent target of negative reactions and serves to distract attention from another	a person who acts and gets things done