diaphragm

[ dahy-uh-fram ]

/ ˈdaɪ əˌfræm /

Save This Word!

See 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.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

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

diaphony, diaphorase, diaphoresis, diaphoretic, diaphototropism, diaphragm, diaphragmatic, diaphragmatic flutter, diaphragmatic hernia, diaphragmatic ligament of mesonephros, diaphragmatic pleurisy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use diaphragm in a sentence

Inside the capsule is a diaphragm, a thin membrane that vibrates when it comes in contact with sound waves, initiating the conversion process.
The shape of things to come: Different types of microphones and when to use them|Mike Levine|August 26, 2021|Popular-Science
Inside headphones are magnets and moveable diaphragms that are easy to misalign.
The best headphone stands for audiophiles, gamers, and anyone with a desk|Irena Collaku|July 23, 2021|Popular-Science
Causes can range from something as small as swallowing too much air while chewing gum to something as serious as a tumor — and longer cases can be connected to damage or irritation to the nerves near the diaphragm.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro hospitalized after 10 days of hiccups|Sammy Westfall|July 14, 2021|Washington Post
Visual timeline shows Bolsonaro flouted health recommendations before contracting coronavirus — and afterHiccups are involuntary contractions of your diaphragm — a dome-shaped muscle between your chest and abdomen.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro hospitalized after 10 days of hiccups|Sammy Westfall|July 14, 2021|Washington Post

Bowie suffered a ruptured thoracic diaphragm from a medical implant in 2016, and he has required a constant stream of oxygen to stay alive since.
In Texas, a former big league pitcher needs an oxygen machine to live. That requires power.|Dave Sheinin|February 18, 2021|Washington Post
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
Lane put his hand into the abdominal incision and squeezed the heart through the diaphragm.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley
The diaphragm is peculiar in that it is somewhat circular in shape and is more or less tendinous or sinew-like in the middle.
Voice Production in Singing and Speaking|Wesley Mills
Were the diaphragm to contract moderately the ribs would be but little drawn in, even if no muscles acted as antagonists.
Voice Production in Singing and Speaking|Wesley Mills
The diaphragm being concave below toward the abdomen, the contents of this cavity fit closely to its under surface.
Voice Production in Singing and Speaking|Wesley Mills
The chest is enlarged by the muscles of inspiration, the principal of which is the diaphragm or midriff.
Voice Production in Singing and Speaking|Wesley Mills

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 forms of diaphragm

diaphragmatic (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

Medical definitions for diaphragm

diaphragm

[ dī′ə-frăm′ ]

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.

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.

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.

diaphragm

Origin of diaphragm

Words nearby diaphragm

Words related to diaphragm

How to use diaphragm in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for diaphragm

Derived forms of diaphragm

Word Origin for diaphragm

Medical definitions for diaphragm

Other words from diaphragm

Scientific definitions for diaphragm

Cultural definitions for diaphragm

notes for diaphragm