Osmosis
//ɒzˈməʊ̯sɪs// noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The net movement of solvent molecules, usually water, from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration through a partially permeable membrane. countable, uncountable
- 2 (biology, chemistry) diffusion of molecules through a semipermeable membrane from a place of higher concentration to a place of lower concentration until the concentration on both sides is equal wordnet
- 3 Passive absorption or impartation of information, habits, etc.; the process of teaching or learning particular knowledge incidentally rather than consciously. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"Near-synonym: serendipity"
Example
More examples"Reverse osmosis consists in forcing seawater through a membrane that filters out the salt."
Etymology
From endosmose and exosmose, both coined by French physician Henri Dutrochet in 1826; from (respectively) Ancient Greek ἔνδον (éndon, “within”) and Ancient Greek ἔξω (éxō, “outer, external”), plus Ancient Greek ὠσμός (ōsmós, “push, impulsion”), from ὠθέω (ōthéō).
Related phrases
More for "osmosis"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.