rarefaction

[ rair-uh-fak-shuhn ]
See synonyms for rarefaction on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act or process of rarefying.

  2. the state of being rarefied.

Origin of rarefaction

1
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, adjective
  • rar·e·fac·tive [rair-uh-fak-tiv], /ˌrɛər əˈfæk tɪv/, adjective

Words that may be confused with rarefaction

Words Nearby rarefaction

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use rarefaction in a sentence

  • He spoke in honeymoon whispers; but the rarefaction of the air was such that every word was audible.

  • This condition of a greater separation of the turns of the spring than usual is called a rarefaction.

    Physics | Willis Eugene Tower
  • A complete wave consisting of a condensation and a rarefaction is represented by that portion of the curve A-C.

    Physics | Willis Eugene Tower
  • So that if in this condensation any one affirmeth there is also some rarefaction, experience may assert it.

  • The rarefaction of the air and the rays of tile sun increased the dilatation of the gas; the balloon continued to ascend!

British Dictionary definitions for rarefaction

rarefaction

rarefication (ˌrɛərɪfɪˈkeɪʃən)

/ (ˌrɛərɪˈfækʃən) /


noun
  1. 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

Scientific definitions for rarefaction

rarefaction

[ râr′ə-făkshən ]


  1. 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.

  2. The region in which this occurs.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.