Diaphragm Meaning
/ˈdaɪəˌfɹæm/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounIn mammals, a sheet of muscle separating the thorax from the abdomen, contracted and relaxed in respiration to draw air into and expel air from the lungs.
nounAny of various membranes or sheets of muscle or ligament which separate one cavity from another.
Sentence Examples
The diaphragm is a muscle.
Hiccups are caused by spasms of the diaphragm.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The singer trained her ____ to control her breathing.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ is a muscle.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English diafragma, Ancient Greek διάφραγμα (diáphragma, “partition”), from διά (diá, “across”) and φράγμα (phrágma, “barrier”), from the verb φράσσω (phrássō). First attested in the late 14th century.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"There also were five broken panes of glass on the two huge, rubberlike diaphragms that equalize air pressure within the dome as the artificial atmosphere expands and contracts with temperature variations, he said."
— 1994 May 4, “Two Former Biosphere Workers Are Accused of Sabotaging Dome”, in The Associated Press:
"The mass of liquid transported through a porous diaphragm in a given time is directly proportional to the current."
— 1921, Wilder Dwight Bancroft, Applied Colloid Chemistry: General Theory, page 207:
"He employs an equatorial with an object-glass having a focal length of five metres, and which was diaphragmed down to eight centimetres."
— 1870, D. Appleton & Co., Appletons' Annual Cyclopædia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1869, page 43:
"The holes and burning are caused by the part diaphragming at 20000-40000 cycles/second."
— 1996, Tom Drozda et al., Tool and Manufacturing Engineers Handbook, vol. VIII: Plastic Part Manufacturing, →ISBN, page 16-24:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The singer trained her ____ to control her breathing.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ is a muscle.