rarefaction

[rair-uh-fak-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or process of rarefying.

2. the state of being rarefied. rarefy.

rarefaction

/ ˌrɛərɪfɪˈkeɪʃən, ˌrɛərɪˈfækʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of making less dense or the state of being less dense

rarefaction

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.

Other Word Forms

• rarefactional adjective
• rarefactive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rarefaction¹

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

Example Sentences

Caries-related parameters included root canal fillings, apical rarefactions and caries lesions.

Read more on Science Daily

In reaching these heights of fancy, however, the movie achieves, to use one of Glaisher’s own words, “rarefaction.”

Read more on The New Yorker

To investigate how mean tag sequence prevalence changes with increasing sequencing depth across environments, we calculated the average mean tag sequence prevalence across three replicate rarefactions.

Read more on Nature

Here is art that turns confectionery into both rarefaction and panache.

Read more on New York Times

The compressions and rarefactions are rapidly transmitted through the air from the original source as a  wave, making sound.

Read more on Scientific American

Related Words

• gap 
• void