diffract

English

Etymology

From Latin diffractus (“past participle of diffringo (“to shatter, to break into pieces”)”).

Pronunciation

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Verb

diffract (third-person singular simple present diffracts, present participle diffracting, simple past and past participle diffracted)

1. (transitive) To cause diffraction
   • 1963, Lester del Rey, The Sky Is Falling:

     Dave frowned as he tried to answer. "Well, I suppose the atmosphere is oxygen and nitrogen, mostly; then there's the ionosphere and the ozone layer. As I remember, the color of the sky is due to the scattering of light—light rays being diffracted in the air."

2. (intransitive) To undergo diffraction

Derived terms

• diffractable
• diffractometer
• diffractometry
• diffractor
• nondiffracting
• undiffracted

Translations

transitive

Bulgarian: разлагам (bg) (razlagam), пречупвам (bg) (prečupvam) Czech: lomit Finnish: diffraktoida, taivuttaa (fi) Italian: diffrangere (it) Maori: whakarauraha, whakaroraha Norwegian: bøye (no) Spanish: difractar (es) Welsh: diffreithio

intransitive

Bulgarian: разлагам се (razlagam se), пречупвам се (prečupvam se) Czech: lomit se Finnish: diffraktoitua, taipua (fi) Italian: diffrangersi Maori: rauraha, roraha Norwegian: bøye (no) Welsh: diffreithio