diaphanous

[ dahy-af-uh-nuh s ]
/ daɪˈæf ə nəs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR diaphanous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or translucent.
delicately hazy.

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Origin of diaphanous

1605–15; < Medieval Latin diaphanus < Greek diaphan(ḗs) transparent, equivalent to diaphan-, stem of diaphaínein to show through (see dia-, -phane) + -ēs adj. suffix) + -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM diaphanous

Words nearby diaphanous

diaper rash, diaphaneity, diaphanometer, diaphanoscope, diaphanoscopy, diaphanous, diaphemetric, diaphone, diaphony, diaphorase, diaphoresis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to diaphanous

clear, delicate, filmy, flimsy, gauzy, gossamer, light, pellucid, pure, sheer, thin, translucent, transparent, chiffon

Example sentences from the Web for diaphanous

British Dictionary definitions for diaphanous

diaphanous
/ (daɪˈæfənəs) /

adjective

(usually of fabrics such as silk) fine and translucent

Derived forms of diaphanous

diaphanously, adverbdiaphanousness or diaphaneity (ˌdaɪəfəˈniːɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for diaphanous

C17: from Medieval Latin diaphanus, from Greek diaphanēs transparent, from diaphainein to show through, from dia- + phainein to show
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012