semipermeable

[ sem-ee-pur-mee-uh-buh l, sem-ahy- ]
/ ˌsɛm iˈpɜr mi ə bəl, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

adjective

permeable only to certain small molecules: a semipermeable membrane.

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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of semipermeable

First recorded in 1895–1900; semi- + permeable

OTHER WORDS FROM semipermeable

sem·i·per·me·a·bil·i·ty, noun

Words nearby semipermeable

semipalmate, semipalmated plover, semipalmated sandpiper, semiparasitic, semipermanent, semipermeable, semiplastic, semipolar bond, semipolitical, semiporcelain, semipostal
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for semi-permeable

  • The term "osmotic membrane" should therefore in all cases replace that of "semi-permeable membrane."

    The Mechanism of Life|Stphane Leduc

British Dictionary definitions for semi-permeable

semipermeable
/ (ˌsɛmɪˈpɜːmɪəbəl) /

adjective

(esp of a cell membrane) selectively permeable

Derived forms of semipermeable

semipermeability, noun
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 semi-permeable

semipermeable
[ sĕm′ē-pûr′mē-ə-bəl, sĕm′ī- ]

adj.

Partially permeable.
Allowing passage of certain, especially small, molecules or ions but acting as a barrier to others. Used of biological and synthetic membranes.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.