Dictionary.com

rarefaction

[ rair-uh-fak-shuhn ]
/ ˌrɛər əˈfæk ʃən /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for rarefaction on Thesaurus.com
noun
the act or process of rarefying.
the state of being rarefied.
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 CoachWrite or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar helpImprove Your Writing
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Origin of rarefaction

1595–1605; <Medieval Latin rārēfactiōn- (stem of rārēfactiō), equivalent to Latin rārēfact(us) (past participle of rārēfacere;see rarefy) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM rarefaction

rar·e·fac·tion·al, adjectiverar·e·fac·tive [rair-uh-fak-tiv], /ˌrɛər əˈfæk tɪv/, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rarefaction

diffraction, diffusion, reflection, rarefaction , refraction

Words nearby rarefaction

rarebit, rare book, rare earth, rare-earth element, raree show, rarefaction, rarefied, rarefy, rare gas, rarely, rarely ever
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to rarefaction

distillation, clarification, gap, void, ablution, absolution, atonement, baptism, bathing, catharsis, disinfection, expiation, expurgation, forgiveness, grace, lavation, purgation, purge, rebirth, redemption

How to use rarefaction in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rarefaction

rarefaction

rarefication (ˌrɛərɪfɪˈkeɪʃən)

/ (ˌrɛərɪˈfækʃən) /
noun
the act or process of making less dense or the state of being less dense

Derived forms of rarefaction

rarefactional, rareficational or rarefactive, adjective
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 rarefaction

rarefaction
[ râr′ə-făk′shən ]
n.
A decrease in density and pressure in a medium, such as air, caused by the passage of a sound wave.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for rarefaction

rarefaction
[ râr′ə-făk′shən ]
A decrease in density and pressure in a medium, such as air, especially when caused by the passage of a wave, such as a sound wave.
The region in which this occurs.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK