diaphanous

WOTD – 5 August 2007    

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin diaphanus (from Ancient Greek διαφανής) +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /daɪˈæf.ən.əs/, X-SAMPA: /daI"{f.@n.@s/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

diaphanous (comparative more diaphanous, superlative most diaphanous)

1. Transparent; allowing light to pass through; capable of being seen through.
   • 1899, Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, section 1

     The water shone pacifically; the sky, without a speck, was a benign immensity of unstained light; the very mist on the Essex marsh was like a gauzy and radiant fabric, hung from the wooded rises inland, and draping the low shores in diaphanous folds.

2. Of a fine, almost transparent texture, e.g. gossamer.

Synonyms

• translucent
• (of a fine, almost transparent texture): delicate, insubstantial

Antonyms

• opaque, concrete, solid

Translations

of a fine, almost transparent texture

• Bulgarian: прозирен (bg) (proziren)
• Dutch: ragfijn (nl)
• French: diaphane (fr) m and f

• German: durchscheinend (de), diaphan (de)
• Italian: diafano (it)
• Russian: прозрачный (ru) (prozráčnyj) m
• Serbo-Croatian: dijafan (sh)

Transparent; allowing light to pass through; capable of being seen through

• Bulgarian: прозрачен (bg) (prozračen)
• Dutch: doorzichtig (nl), doorschijnend (nl)
• French: diaphane (fr) m and f
• German: durchscheinend (de), diaphan (de), durchsichtig (de)

• Greek: διαφανής (el) (diafanís) m (diafanís)
• Ido: diafana (io)
• Serbo-Croatian: proziran (sh), providan (sh), dijafan (sh)
• Spanish: diáfano (es)