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

Chinese: Mandarin: 渗透  (zh) (shèntòu) Czech: osmóza (cs) f. Dutch: osmose f. (1) Esperanto: osmozo (eo) Finnish: osmoosi (1) French: osmose f. (1)

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