diaphragm
noun
di·a·phragm
| \ ˈdī-ə-ˌfram
\
\
Definition of diaphragm
1
: a body partition of muscle and connective tissue
specifically
: the partition separating the chest and abdominal cavities in mammals
2
: a dividing membrane or thin partition especially in a tube
3a
: a more or less rigid partition in the body or shell of an invertebrate
b
: a transverse septum in a plant stem
4
: a device that limits the aperture of a lens or optical system — compare iris diaphragm
5
: a thin flexible disk (as in a microphone or loudspeaker) that vibrates when struck by sound waves or that vibrates to generate sound waves
6
: a molded cap usually of thin rubber fitted over the uterine cervix to act as a mechanical contraceptive barrier
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Other Words from diaphragm
diaphragmatic
\ ˌdī-ə-frə(g)-ˈma-tik
, -ËŒfrag- \
adjective
, -ËŒfrag- \
adjective
diaphragmatically
\ ˌdī-ə-frə(g)-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of diaphragm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The leg muscles are the most common sites of polio damage, along with the muscles of the head, neck, and diaphragm. — Alexander B. Joy, The Atlantic, "Candy Land Was Invented for Polio Wards," 28 July 2019 There are times when my diaphragm is sore at the end of a four- or five-hour recording session, just because the challenge is to wring out every possible option for every piece of dialogue. — New York Times, "Tom Hanks on the Pleasures and Perils of Voicing Woody," 18 June 2019 There’s the ‘outside skirt steak,’ which actually hangs inside the cow’s diaphragm. — Ben Mims, latimes.com, "The best insider tips for grilling beef this summer," 26 June 2019 She was tightly wrapped around her diaphragm when released from the hospital on a Wednesday. — David Woods, Indianapolis Star, "Meet Semira Killebrew — the fastest teenage girl in Indiana history," 20 June 2019 Doctors discovered Levi suffered multiple traumatic injuries, including a tear to his small bowel and hemorrhages to his liver and diaphragm. — Sarah Horner, Twin Cities, "Judge sentences St. Paul man to 15 years for beating child to death in case she calls ‘stunning’," 13 June 2019 The EN700 Pro has a 10-millimeter driver in each earpiece with an N50 high magnetic composite moving-coil transducer with a polymer composite titanium-plated diaphragm. — Jim Rossman, The Seattle Times, "Tech review: Simgot in-ear monitors offer great sound and a great price," 13 Apr. 2019 The ultra-thin 16-micrometer diaphragm inside the CL2s is part of the most compact planar magnetic driver that’s ever been released, which took RHA four years to develop. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "RHA announces in-ear planar magnetic earphones with wireless option," 23 Aug. 2018 One easy method: applying sanitizing foam to the stethoscope’s diaphragm—the part that touches a patient’s skin—after using it on their own hands. — Lucette Lagnado, WSJ, "Hospitals Step Up the War on Superbugs," 8 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diaphragm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for diaphragm
diaphragm
noun
English Language Learners Definition of diaphragm
medical
: a large flat muscle that separates the lungs from the stomach area and that is used in breathing
technical
: a device that controls the amount of light passing through the lens of a camera
: a device shaped like a cup that is placed in the vagina to prevent pregnancy
See the full definition for diaphragm in the English Language Learners Dictionary
diaphragm
noun
di·a·phragm
| \ ˈdī-ə-ˌfram
\
\
Kids Definition of diaphragm
1
: a muscular wall that separates the lungs from the stomach area and assists in breathing in
2
: a thin disk (as in a microphone) that vibrates when sound strikes it
diaphragm
noun
di·a·phragm
| \ ˈdī-ə-ˌfram
\
\
Medical Definition of diaphragm
1
: a body partition of muscle and connective tissue
specifically
: the partition separating the chest and abdominal cavities in mammals — see pelvic diaphragm, urogenital diaphragm
2
: a device that limits the aperture of a lens or optical system
3
: a molded cap usually of thin rubber fitted over the uterine cervix to act as a mechanical contraceptive barrier
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