Standard Lemma guide

diffract

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /dɪˈfɹækt/
  • /dəˈfɹækt/ weak vowel merger
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 F R AE1 K T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To cause diffraction

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To undergo diffraction

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

undergo diffraction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • laser light diffracts electrons

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: separate, part, split

History

Etymology

From Latin diffractus (“past participle of diffringo (“to shatter, to break into pieces”)”).

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: разлагам (razlagam) — transitive
  • Bulgarian: пречупвам (prečupvam) — transitive
  • Catalan: difractar — transitive
  • Czech: lomit — transitive
  • Finnish: diffraktoida — transitive
  • Finnish: taivuttaa — transitive
  • French: diffracter — transitive
  • Italian: diffrangere — transitive
  • Māori: whakarauraha — transitive
  • Māori: whakaroraha — transitive
  • Norwegian: bøye — transitive
  • Spanish: difractar — transitive
  • Welsh: diffreithio — transitive
  • Bulgarian: разлагам се (razlagam se) — intransitive
  • Bulgarian: пречупвам се (prečupvam se) — intransitive
  • Czech: lomit se — intransitive
  • Finnish: diffraktoitua — intransitive
  • Finnish: taipua — intransitive
  • Italian: diffrangersi — intransitive
  • Māori: rauraha — intransitive
  • Māori: roraha — intransitive
  • Norwegian: bøye — intransitive
  • Welsh: diffreithio — intransitive