diaphragm
[ dahy-uh-fram ]
/ ˈdaɪ əˌfræm /
noun
verb (used with object)
to furnish with a diaphragm.
to reduce the aperture of (a lens, camera, etc.) by means of a diaphragm.
QUIZZES
HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!
Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
Origin of diaphragm
1350–1400; Middle English diafragma < Late Latin diaphragma < Greek diáphragma the diaphragm, midriff, equivalent to dia- dia- + phrágma a fence
Words nearby diaphragm
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for diaphragm
British Dictionary definitions for diaphragm
diaphragm
/ (ˈdaɪəˌfræm) /
noun
Derived forms of diaphragm
diaphragmatic (ˌdaɪəfræɡˈmætɪk), adjectivediaphragmatically, adverbWord 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
Medical 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.
Other words from diaphragm
di′a•phrag•mat′ic (-frăg-măt′ĭk) adj.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural 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.
notes for diaphragm
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.