diaphragm

[ dahy-uh-fram ]

/ ˈdaɪ əˌfræm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR diaphragm ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Anatomy.

a muscular, membranous or ligamentous wall separating two cavities or limiting a cavity.
the partition separating the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity in mammals.

Physical Chemistry.

a porous plate separating two liquids, as in a galvanic cell.
a semipermeable membrane.

a thin disk that vibrates when receiving or producing sound waves, as in a telephone, microphone, speaker, or the like.

Also called pessary. a thin, dome-shaped device, usually of rubber, for wearing over the uterine cervix during sexual intercourse to prevent conception.

a plate with a hole in the center or a ring that is placed on the axis of an optical instrument, as a camera, and that controls the amount of light entering the instrument.

a plate or web for stiffening metal-framed constructions.

verb (used with object)

to furnish with a diaphragm.

to reduce the aperture of (a lens, camera, etc.) by means of a diaphragm.

Nearby words

Origin of diaphragm

1350–1400; Middle English diafragma < Late Latin diaphragma < Greek diáphragma the diaphragm, midriff, equivalent to dia- dia- + phrágma a fence

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for diaphragm

The blade pierced his liver and diaphragm, missing his heart and aorta by a fraction of an inch.
Thank God the Murrysville School Attack Wasn’t Guns|Michael Daly|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After Mrs. Butterfield retreats upstairs, she goes to have sex with her husband, only to realize that Jade has her diaphragm.
What the New ‘Endless Love’s Fireplace Sex Scene Is Missing|Sujay Kumar|February 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Could prescription birth control—whether the pill, an IUD, or a diaphragm—soon be free of cost for most American women?
The Coming Birth Control Battle|Dana Goldstein|July 12, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The speaking-tube used was of woven material, not of rubber, and a pad of felt was kept in the tube near the diaphragm box.
Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 1|Various

It is situated in the right side, below the diaphragm, and is composed of several lobes.
A Treatise on Anatomy, Physiology, and Hygiene (Revised Edition)|Calvin Cutter
When extreme, it may give rise to distressing dyspnoea by preventing the descent of the diaphragm.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I|Various
That cavity is divided into two by a partly muscular and partly tendinous partition, the diaphragm.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia|Frank Evers Beddard
The insertion of the diaphragm becomes soon perceptible by a deep groove around the chest.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II|Various

British Dictionary definitions for diaphragm

diaphragm

/ (ˈdaɪəˌfræm) /

noun

anatomy any separating membrane, esp the dome-shaped muscular partition that separates the abdominal and thoracic cavities in mammalsRelated adjective: phrenic

a circular rubber or plastic contraceptive membrane placed over the mouth of the uterine cervix before copulation to prevent entrance of sperm

any thin dividing membrane

Also called: stop a disc with a fixed or adjustable aperture to control the amount of light or other radiation entering an optical instrument, such as a camera

a thin disc that vibrates when receiving or producing sound waves, used to convert sound signals to electrical signals or vice versa in telephones, etc

chem

a porous plate or cylinder dividing an electrolytic cell, used to permit the passage of ions and prevent the mixing of products formed at the electrodes
a semipermeable membrane used to separate two solutions in osmosis

botany a transverse plate of cells that occurs in the stems of certain aquatic plants

Derived Formsdiaphragmatic (ˌdaɪəfræɡˈmætɪk), adjectivediaphragmatically, adverb

Word Origin for diaphragm

C17: from Late Latin diaphragma, from Greek, from dia- + phragma fence

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

Medicine definitions for diaphragm

diaphragm

[ dī′ə-frăm′ ]

n.

A musculomembranous partition separating the abdominal and thoracic cavities and functioning in respiration.midriff

A membranous part that divides or separates.

A contraceptive device consisting of a thin flexible disk, usually made of rubber, that is designed to cover the uterine cervix to prevent the entry of sperm during sexual intercourse.

A disk having a fixed or variable opening used to restrict the amount of light traversing a lens or optical system.

Related formsdi′a•phrag•mat′ic (-frăg-măt′ĭk) adj.

Science definitions for diaphragm

diaphragm

[ dī′ə-frăm′ ]

The large muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity in mammals and is the principal muscle of respiration. As the diaphragm contracts and moves downward, the lungs expand and air moves into them. As the diaphragm relaxes and moves upward, the lungs contract and air is forced out of them.

A thin, flexible disk, especially in a microphone or telephone receiver, that vibrates in response to sound waves to produce electrical signals, or that vibrates in response to electrical signals to produce sound waves.

A contraceptive device consisting of a thin flexible disk, usually made of rubber, that is designed to cover the cervix of the uterus to prevent the entry of sperm during sexual intercourse.

An optical device in a camera or telescope that regulates the amount of light that enters the lens or optical system. The diaphragm consists of a disk with a circular opening of variable diameter.

Culture definitions for diaphragm

diaphragm

[ (deye-uh-fram) ]

A dome-shaped structure made up of muscle and connective tissue that separates the abdominal cavity from the thorax and functions in respiration. By movement of the diaphragm, air is either drawn into the lungs or forced out of them.

Note

The term diaphragm can also refer to a small flexible cap, usually made of rubber, that fits over the cervix and is used for contraception.

diaphragm

noun

verb (used with object)

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Origin of diaphragm

Examples from the Web for diaphragm

diaphragm

noun

Word Origin for diaphragm

diaphragm

n.

diaphragm

diaphragm

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