diaphragm

/ˈdaɪəˌfɹæm/

diaphragm noun: in mammals, a sheet of muscle separating the thorax from the abdomen, contracted and relaxed in respiration to draw air into and expel air from the lungs.

Image: Brbbl, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

diaphragm (plural diaphragms)

In mammals, a sheet of muscle separating the thorax from the abdomen, contracted and relaxed in respiration to draw air into and expel air from the lungs.
- thoracic diaphragm
- pulmonary diaphragm
Any of various membranes or sheets of muscle or ligament which separate one cavity from another.
A contraceptive device consisting of a flexible cup, used to cover the cervix during intercourse.
- cervical diaphragm
- contraceptive diaphragm
A flexible membrane separating two chambers and fixed around its periphery that distends into one or other chamber as the difference in the pressure in the chambers varies.
- This is effected by a novel and ingenious application of two flexible diaphragms—the upper of which, being acted upon by the lower, is pulled down on its seat, and forms a perfectly leakless joint.1847, editorial staff, “Improvement in Water Taps, Cister Valves, &c. ”, in Scientific American, series 1, Volume 3, Issue 9, page 68
- There also were five broken panes of glass on the two huge, rubberlike diaphragms that equalize air pressure within the dome as the artificial atmosphere expands and contracts with temperature variations, he said.1994 May 4, “Two Former Biosphere Workers Are Accused of Sabotaging Dome”, in The Associated Press
(acoustics) In a speaker, the thin, semi-rigid membrane which vibrates to produce sound.
- acoustic diaphragm
A thin opaque structure with a central aperture, used to limit the passage of light into a camera or similar device.
A permeable or semipermeable membrane.
- The mass of liquid transported through a porous diaphragm in a given time is directly proportional to the current.1921, Wilder Dwight Bancroft, Applied Colloid Chemistry: General Theory, page 207
A floor slab, metal wall panel, roof panel or the like, having a sufficiently large in-plane shear stiffness and sufficient strength to transmit horizontal forces to resisting systems.

Verb

diaphragm (third-person singular simple present diaphragms, present participle diaphragming, simple past and past participle diaphragmed)

To reduce lens aperture using an optical diaphragm.
- He employs an equatorial with an object-glass having a focal length of five metres, and which was diaphragmed down to eight centimetres.1870, D. Appleton & Co., Appletons' Annual Cyclopædia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1869, page 43
To act as a diaphragm, for example by vibrating.
- The holes and burning are caused by the part diaphragming at 20000-40000 cycles/second.1996, Tom Drozda et al., Tool and Manufacturing Engineers Handbook, vol. VIII: Plastic Part Manufacturing, →ISBN, page 16-24

diaphragm meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

diaphragm in Hindi

anatomy: sheet of muscle separating thorax from abdomen: मध्यपट madhyapaṭ, तनुपट tanupaṭ, मध्यच्छद madhyacchad
anatomy: separating membrane or sheet of muscle: मध्यपट madhyapaṭ
contraceptive device: मध्यपट madhyapaṭ

diaphragm in Tamil

இடைத் தகடு, இடைப் படலம், இடையீட்டுச் சவ்வுத்திரை, இடைத்திரை, உதர விதானம், பிரிமென்றகடு

diaphragm in Urdu

ڈایفگرام, ڈایفاگرام

More languagesFewer languages

diaphragm in Bengali: ডায়াফ্রাম, ডায়াফ্রম, ডায়াফ্রামিং
diaphragm in Telugu: డయాఫ్రాగమ్, డయాఫ్రాగం, డయాఫ్రామ్
diaphragm in Malayalam: ഡയഫ്രം, ഡയാഫ്രം, ഡയഫ്രാഗിംഗ്
diaphragm in Kannada: ಡಯಾಫ್ರಾಮ್, ಡಯಾಫ್ರಮ್, ಡಯಾಫ್ರೇಮ್
diaphragm in Punjabi: ਡਾਇਆਫ੍ਰਾਮ, ਡਾਇਆਫਰੈਮ, ਡਾਇਆਫ਼ਰੈਮ
diaphragm in Gujarati: સ્વરપડદો svarpaḍdo
diaphragm in Odia: ଡାଯ଼ାଫ୍ରାମ, ଡାଯ଼ାଫ୍ରମ, ଡାଯ଼ାଫ୍ରାମିଂ
diaphragm in Nepali: डायाफ्राम, डायाफ्रेम, डायफ्राम
diaphragm in Pashto: زنخول zanxwál
diaphragm in Tagalog: lamang-tabing
diaphragm in Arabic: حِجَاب حَاجِز ḥijāb ḥājiz
diaphragm in Malay: diafragma
diaphragm in Indonesian: diafragma
diaphragm in Persian: دیافراگم diyâfrâgm, میانبند miyânband, پرده حاجز parde-ye hājez
diaphragm in Thai: กะบังลม gà-bang-lom
diaphragm in Vietnamese: cơ hoành

Examples of diaphragm in a sentence

Hiatus aorticus is an opening in the diaphragm through which aorta and thoracic duct pass.
The graphite fibers are augmentedly drawn and draped into shape between the confining superplastic diaphragms.
We achieve this by breathing with the diaphragm and we do not raise the shoulders while breathing.

All 17 example sentences with diaphragm

Forms of diaphragm

Noun
plural	diaphragms
Verb
third-person singular present	diaphragms
present participle	diaphragming
past participle	diaphragmed
past	diaphragmed

Plural of diaphragm: diaphragms

Origin of diaphragm

From Middle English diafragma, Ancient Greek διάφραγμα (diáphragma, “partition”), from διά (diá, “across”) and φράγμα (phrágma, “barrier”), from the verb φράσσω (phrássō). First attested in the late 14th century.

Words formed from diaphragm

Phrases with diaphragm

Questions about diaphragm

What does diaphragm mean?: Diaphragm means in mammals, a sheet of muscle separating the thorax from the abdomen, contracted and relaxed in respiration to draw air into and expel air from the lungs.
What is diaphragm in Hindi?: Diaphragm in Hindi is मध्यपट (madhyapaṭ), तनुपट (tanupaṭ), मध्यच्छद (madhyacchad). See Diaphragm meaning in Hindi.
What part of speech is diaphragm?: Diaphragm can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce diaphragm?: Diaphragm is pronounced /ˈdaɪəˌfɹæm/.
What is the plural of diaphragm?: The plural of diaphragm is diaphragms.

Words near diaphragm in the dictionary

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-diaphragm.wav.

Cite this entry: “diaphragm.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/diaphragm. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.