What does "diaphragm" mean?
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.
Diaphragm
/ˈdaɪəˌfɹæm/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: 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.
- Grammar: diaphragm is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abdomen, abomasum, acoustical network, aperture.
- Useful contrasts: closed aperture, no contraception, rigid plate.
- Usage evidence: Hiccups are caused by spasms of the diaphragm.
How to use "diaphragm"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "diaphragm" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "diaphragm" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "diaphragm" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "diaphragm" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "diaphragm" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abdomen" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "diaphragm", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 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"
- 2 a mechanical device in a camera that controls size of aperture of the lens wordnet
- 3 Any of various membranes or sheets of muscle or ligament which separate one cavity from another.
- 4 electro-acoustic transducer that vibrates to receive or produce sound waves wordnet
- 5 A contraceptive device consisting of a flexible cup, used to cover the cervix during intercourse.
"cervical diaphragm"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a contraceptive device consisting of a flexible dome-shaped cup made of rubber or plastic; it is filled with spermicide and fitted over the uterine cervix wordnet
- 7 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.
"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."
- 8 (anatomy) a muscular partition separating the abdominal and thoracic cavities; functions in respiration wordnet
- 9 In a speaker, the thin, semi-rigid membrane which vibrates to produce sound.
"acoustic diaphragm"
- 10 A thin opaque structure with a central aperture, used to limit the passage of light into a camera or similar device.
- 11 A permeable or semipermeable membrane.
"The mass of liquid transported through a porous diaphragm in a given time is directly proportional to the current."
- 12 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
- 1 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."
- 2 To act as a diaphragm, for example by vibrating.
"The holes and burning are caused by the part diaphragming at 20000-40000 cycles/second."
Antonyms
closed apertureno contraceptionrigid platesolid barrier
Example
"Hiccups are caused by spasms of the diaphragm."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "diaphragm"?
Common synonyms include: abdomen, abomasum, acoustical network, aperture, apertures, bag.
How do you use "diaphragm" in a sentence?
Hiccups are caused by spasms of the diaphragm.
How do you pronounce "diaphragm"?
Pronounced /ˈdaɪəˌfɹæm/.
Etymology
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.