semipermeable

[ sem-ee-pur-mee-uh-buhl, sem-ahy- ]

adjective

permeable only to certain small molecules: a semipermeable membrane.

Origin of semipermeable

First recorded in 1895–1900; semi- + permeable

Other words from semipermeable

sem·i·per·me·a·bil·i·ty, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use semipermeable in a sentence

Protoplasm acts in general as an approximately semi-permeable membrane or material.
The Chemistry of Plant Life | Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher
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 semipermeable

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

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