diaphragm

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: di=a=phragm

OXFORD DICTIONARY

diaphragm, n.
1 a muscular partition separating the thorax from the abdomen in mammals.
2 a partition in animal and plant tissues.
3 a disc pierced by one or more holes in optical and acoustic systems etc.
4 a device for varying the effective aperture of the lens in a camera etc.
5 a thin contraceptive cap fitting over the cervix.
6 a thin sheet of material used as a partition etc.

Idiom

diaphragm pump a pump using a flexible diaphragm in place of a piston.

Derivative

diaphragmatic adj.

Etymology

ME f. LL diaphragma f. Gk (as DIA-, phragma -atos f. phrasso fence in)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

diaphragm

n. A muscular partition separating disorders of the chest from disorders of the bowels.

THESAURUS

diaphragm

IUD, abdomen, abomasum, acoustical network, bag, barrier, bay window, beerbelly, belly, birth control device, brattice, breadbasket, buffer, buffer state, bulkhead, bumper, capacitor speaker, center, cloison, coaxial speaker, collision mat, condom, cone, contraceptive, contraceptive foam, core, craw, crop, crossover network, cushion, diameter, dissepiment, dividing line, dividing wall, division, dynamic speaker, earphone, electrodynamic speaker, electromagnetic speaker, electrostatic speaker, embonpoint, equator, excited-field speaker, fender, first stomach, full-fidelity speaker, gizzard, gullet, gut, headphone, headset, heart, high-fidelity speaker, high-frequency speaker, honeycomb stomach, horn, interior, interseptum, intrauterine device, kernel, kishkes, loudspeaker, low-frequency speaker, manyplies, mat, maw, mean, median, middle, midmost, midrange speaker, midriff, midsection, midst, monorange speaker, moving-coil speaker, nucleus, omasum, oral contraceptive, pad, panel, paries, partition, party wall, paunch, permanent magnet speaker, pessary, pot, potbelly, potgut, property line, prophylactic, psalterium, pusgut, rennet bag, reticulum, rubber, rumen, second stomach, separation, septulum, septum, shock pad, skin, spare tire, speaker, speaker system, speaker unit, spermicidal jelly, spermicide, stomach, swagbelly, the pill, thick, thick of things, third stomach, triaxial speaker, tum-tum, tummy, tweeter, underbelly, ventripotence, voice coil, waist, waistline, wall, woofer, zone

ROGET THESAURUS

diaphragm

Middle

N middle, midst, mediety, mean, medium, middle term, center &c, mid-course, mezzo termine, juste milieu, halfway house, nave, navel, omphalos, nucleus, nucleolus, equidistance, bisection, half distance, equator, diaphragm, midriff, intermediate, middle, medial, mesial, mean, mid, median, average, middlemost, midmost, mediate, intermediate, equidistant, central, mediterranean, equatorial, homocentric, in the middle, midway, halfway, midships, amidships, in medias res.

Interposition

N interposition, interjacence, intercurrence, intervenience, interlocation, interdigitation, interjection, interpolation, interlineation, interspersion, intercalation, interpenetration, permeation, infiltration, intervention, interference, intrusion, obtrusion, insinuation, insertion, dovetailing, embolism, intermediary, intermedium, go between, bodkin, intruder, interloper, parenthesis, episode, flyleaf, partition, septum, diaphragm, midriff, dissepiment, party wall, panel, room divider, halfway house, interjacent, intercurrent, intervenient, intervening, intermediate, intermediary, intercalary, interstitial, embolismal, parenthetical, episodic, mediterranean, intrusive, embosomed, merged, between, betwixt, twixt, among, amongst, amid, amidst, mid, midst, in the thick of, betwixt and between, sandwich-wise, parenthetically, obiter dictum.