diaphragm

[ dahy-uh-fram ]

noun

1. Anatomy.
   1. a muscular, membranous or ligamentous wall separating two cavities or limiting a cavity.
   2. the partition separating the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity in mammals.
2. Physical Chemistry.
   1. a porous plate separating two liquids, as in a galvanic cell.
   2. a semipermeable membrane.
3. a thin disk that vibrates when receiving or producing sound waves, as in a telephone, microphone, speaker, or the like.
4. Also called pessary. a thin, dome-shaped device, usually of rubber, for wearing over the uterine cervix during sexual intercourse to prevent conception.
5. 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.
6. a plate or web for stiffening metal-framed constructions.

verb (used with object)

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

diaphragm

/ ˌdaɪəfræɡˈmætɪk; ˈdaɪəˌfræm /

noun

1. anatomy any separating membrane, esp the dome-shaped muscular partition that separates the abdominal and thoracic cavities in mammals phrenic
2. a circular rubber or plastic contraceptive membrane placed over the mouth of the uterine cervix before copulation to prevent entrance of sperm
3. any thin dividing membrane
4. Also calledstop 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
5. 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
6. chem
   1. 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
   2. a semipermeable membrane used to separate two solutions in osmosis
7. botany a transverse plate of cells that occurs in the stems of certain aquatic plants

diaphragm

/ dī′ə-frăm′ /

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

diaphragm

1. 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

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 .

Derived Forms

• ˌdiaphragˈmatically, adverb
• diaphragmatic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of diaphragm¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of diaphragm¹

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

Example Sentences

Inside the capsule is a diaphragm, a thin membrane that vibrates when it comes in contact with sound waves, initiating the conversion process.

From Popular-Science

Inside headphones are magnets and moveable diaphragms that are easy to misalign.

From 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.

From 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.

From 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.

From Washington Post

The blade pierced his liver and diaphragm, missing his heart and aorta by a fraction of an inch.

From The Daily Beast

After Mrs. Butterfield retreats upstairs, she goes to have sex with her husband, only to realize that Jade has her diaphragm.

From The Daily Beast

Could prescription birth control—whether the pill, an IUD, or a diaphragm—soon be free of cost for most American women?

From The Daily Beast

Lane put his hand into the abdominal incision and squeezed the heart through the diaphragm.

From Project Gutenberg

The diaphragm is peculiar in that it is somewhat circular in shape and is more or less tendinous or sinew-like in the middle.

From Project Gutenberg

Were the diaphragm to contract moderately the ribs would be but little drawn in, even if no muscles acted as antagonists.

From Project Gutenberg

The diaphragm being concave below toward the abdomen, the contents of this cavity fit closely to its under surface.

From Project Gutenberg

The chest is enlarged by the muscles of inspiration, the principal of which is the diaphragm or midriff.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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