osmosis

English

Wikipedia

Noun

osmosis (plural osmoses)

1. The net movement of solvent molecules from a region of high solvent potential to a region of lower solvent potential through a partially permeable membrane
2. (slang) Picking up knowledge accidentally, without actually seeking that particular knowledge.

   I was reading about chickens, and I guess I learned about hawks through osmosis.

   • 1999, Neil Gaiman, Stardust, pages 36-37 (2001 Perennial paperback edition)

     At age fourteen, by a process of osmosis, of dirty jokes, whispered secrets and filthy ballads, Tristram learned of sex.

Related terms

• osmotic
• osmose

Derived terms

• electroosmosis
• endosmosis
• exosmosis

Translations

movement of molecules from a region of high solvent potential to low

• Asturian: ósmosis (ast) f
• Catalan: osmosi (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 渗透 (cmn) (shèntòu)

• Czech: osmóza (cs) f
• Dutch: osmose f (1)
• Esperanto: osmozo (eo)
• Finnish: osmoosi (1)
• French: osmose f (1)

• Galician: osmose (gl) f
• German: Osmose f (1)
• Greek: ώσμωση (el) (ósmosi)
• Indonesian: osmosis (id)
• Italian: osmosi f (1,2)
• Korean: 침투 (ko) (chimku)
• Portuguese: osmose (pt)
• Russian: осмос (ru) (ósmos) m
• Spanish: ósmosis (es) f