diaphaneity

Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

di·aph·a·nous

 (dī-ăf′ə-nəs)
adj.
1. Sufficiently thin or airy as to be translucent: a diaphanous gown; diaphanous gauze.
2. Of such fine composition as to be easily damaged or broken; delicate: diaphanous butterfly wings.

[From Medieval Latin diaphanus, transparent, from Greek diaphanēs, from diaphainein, to be transparent : dia-, dia- + phainein, phan-, to show; see bhā- in Indo-European roots.]

di′a·pha·ne′i·ty (dī′ə-fə-nē′ĭ-tē), di·aph′a·nous·ness n.
di·aph′a·nous·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

di•aph•a•ne•i•ty

(dɪˌæf əˈni ɪ ti, ˌdaɪ ə fə-)

n.
the quality of being diaphanous.
[1650–60]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Mentioned in
References in classic literature
'consciousness,' when once it has evaporated to this estate of pure diaphaneity, is on the point of disappearing altogether.
By integrating common points of different perspectives, this paper considers authority, exactitude, diaphaneity, trust, timeliness, standardization, coordination as the key elements of the effectiveness of government's response capability to network opinion on public emergencies, namely, seven basic dimensions.
Its luster, color and diaphaneity make it useful as a gemstone and also in the making of glass.
In general, the diaphaneity of the sapphires varied according to the amount of sheen that they displayed.
But despite the aggressive power of these works, the real impact of the show lay in subtler effects, such as the diaphaneity of rice paper, or the charged scrape of Schendel's fingernail across its delicate surface.
I believe that "consciousness," when once it has evaporated to this estate of pure diaphaneity, is on the point of disappearing altogether.
a bifocal perceptual oscillation between the minute particularization of objects and hazy evocations of the 'far, far away,' between careful focus and out-of-focus diaphaneity." (7) Arguably, then, Tennyson might have been intrigued by the mirror such a photographic style could offer his poetry.
Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.