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diffract

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA or enPR then please add some!

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

Translations

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