Word Meanings - DIFFRACTION - Book Publishers vocabulary database

The deflection and decomposition of light in passing by the edges of opaque bodies or through narrow slits, causing the appearance of parallel bands or fringes of prismatic colors, as by the action of a grating of fine lines or bars. Remarked by

Additional info about word: DIFFRACTION

The deflection and decomposition of light in passing by the edges of opaque bodies or through narrow slits, causing the appearance of parallel bands or fringes of prismatic colors, as by the action of a grating of fine lines or bars. Remarked by Grimaldi , and referred by him to a property of light which he called diffraction. Whewell. Diffraction grating. See under Grating. -- Diffraction spectrum. See under Spectrum.

Related words: (words related to DIFFRACTION)

• PASS
  passer, LL. passare, fr. L. passus step, or from pandere, passum, to 1. To go; to move; to proceed; to be moved or transferred from one point to another; to make a transit; -- usually with a following adverb or adverbal phrase defining the kind
• CAUSEFUL
  Having a cause.
• LIGHT
  licht, OHG. lioht, Goth. liuhap, Icel. lj, L. lux light, lucere to 1. That agent, force, or action in nature by the operation of which upon the organs of sight, objects are rendered visible or luminous. Note: Light was regarded formerly
• OPAQUENESS
  The state or quality of being impervious to light; opacity. Dr. H. More.
• CAUSATIVE
  1. Effective, as a cause or agent; causing. Causative in nature of a number of effects. Bacon. 2. Expressing a cause or reason; causal; as, the ablative is a causative case.
• GRATICULE
  A design or draught which has been divided into squares, in order to reproduce it in other dimensions.
• REMARKER
  One who remarks.
• PASSOVER
  A feast of the Jews, instituted to commemorate the sparing of the Hebrews in Egypt, when God, smiting the firstborn of the Egyptians, passed over the houses of the Israelites which were marked with the blood of a lamb. The sacrifice offered at
• PASSUS
  A division or part; a canto; as, the passus of Piers Plowman. See 2d Fit.
• CAUSEWAYED; CAUSEYED
  Having a raised way ; paved. Sir W. Scott. C. Bronté.
• LIGHTSOME
  1. Having light; lighted; not dark or gloomy; bright. White walls make rooms more lightsome than black. Bacon. 2. Gay; airy; cheering; exhilarating. That lightsome affection of joy. Hooker. -- Light"some*ly, adv. -- Light"some*ness, n. Happiness
• GRATICULATION
  The division of a design or draught into squares, in order the more easily to reproduce it in larger or smaller dimensions. (more info) graticuler, craticuler, to square, fr. graticule, craticule,
• OPAQUE
  1. Impervious to the rays of light; not transparent; as, an opaque substance. 2. Obscure; not clear; unintelligible.
• LIGHTNESS
  The state, condition, or quality, of being light or not heavy; buoyancy; levity; fickleness; delicacy; grace. Syn. -- Levity; volatility; instability; inconstancy; unsteadiness; giddiness; flightiness; airiness; gayety; liveliness; agility;
• PASSIBILITY
  The quality or state of being passible; aptness to feel or suffer; sensibility. Hakewill.
• LIGHT-ARMED
  Armed with light weapons or accouterments.
• CAUSATOR
  One who causes. Sir T. Browne.
• PASSIONAL
  Of or pertaining to passion or the passions; exciting, influenced by, or ministering to, the passions. -- n.
• PASSIVE FLIGHT
  Flight, such as gliding and soaring, accomplished without the use of motive power.
• GRATITUDE
  The state of being grateful; warm and friendly feeling toward a benefactor; kindness awakened by a favor received; thankfulness. The debt immense of endless gratitude. Milton.
• MIGRATION
  The act of migrating.
• ANTICAUSODIC
  See ANTICAUSOTIC
• CHURCHLINESS
  Regard for the church.
• INTEGRATOR
  That which integrates; esp., an instrument by means of which the area of a figure can be measured directly, or its moment of inertia, or statical moment, etc., be determined.
• SLIGHTNESS
  The quality or state of being slight; slenderness; feebleness; superficiality; also, formerly, negligence; indifference; disregard.
• FRIENDLINESS
  The condition or quality of being friendly. Sir P. Sidney.
• COMPASSIONATELY
  In a compassionate manner; mercifully. Clarendon.
• LORDLINESS
  The state or quality of being lordly. Shak.
• DELIGHTING
  Giving delight; gladdening. -- De*light"ing*ly, adv. Jer. Taylor.
• DRUMMOND LIGHT
  A very intense light, produced by turning two streams of gas, one oxygen and the other hydrogen, or coal gas, in a state of ignition, upon a ball of lime; or a stream of oxygen gas through a flame of alcohol upon a ball or disk of lime; -- called
• DIPRISMATIC
  Doubly prismatic.
• STEELINESS
  The quality of being steely.
• REACTIONIST
  A reactionary. C. Kingsley.
• SURPASS
  To go beyond in anything good or bad; to exceed; to excel. This would surpass Common revenge and interrupt his joy. Milton. Syn. -- To exceed; excel; outdo; outstrip.