noun
-
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.
Other Word Forms
- rarefactional adjective
- rarefactive adjective
Etymology
Origin of rarefaction
1595–1605; < Medieval Latin rārēfactiōn- (stem of rārēfactiō ), equivalent to Latin rārēfact ( us ) (past participle of rārēfacere; rarefy ) + -iōn- -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In untreated fish, one of the most striking signs of kidney decline was the gradual loss of capillaries, a process known as vascular rarefaction.
From Science Daily • Jan. 30, 2026
The results from both of these null models were qualitatively consistent, so we only report findings using the equiprobable rows, fixed columns model, as it is more consistent with rarefaction of the observation tables.
From Nature • Oct. 31, 2017
Whether the heat transfer from compression to rarefaction is significant depends on how far apart they are—that is, it depends on wavelength.
From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015
This is how noise-canceling headphones work—they produce a sound wave that resembles the wave responsible for the unwanted sound, but with the original phases of rarefaction and compression flipped.
From Scientific American • Dec. 12, 2013
My ears also ached exceedingly in consequence of the rarefaction of the atmosphere.
From From the Oak to the Olive A Plain record of a Pleasant Journey by Howe, Julia Ward
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
