semipermeable

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

/ ˌsɛm iˈpɜr mi ə bəl, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

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adjective

permeable only to certain small molecules: a semipermeable membrane.

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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. 2023

How to use semipermeable in a sentence

Water has to be pushed through a semipermeable membrane that blocks the salt and other impurities from going through.
Sun+Water= High Tech Caribbean Luxury At The Cusinart Resort|The Daily Beast|June 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They are semi-colloidal, passing slowly through semipermeable membranes.
Animal Proteins|Hugh Garner Bennett
Similarly the diffusion of sols through "semipermeable" membranes is affected by lyotrope influence.
Animal Proteins|Hugh Garner Bennett

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