diaphanous

Advancedzipf 1.97

Pronunciation

/daɪˈæfənəs/(dye-AF-uh-nus)

Part of speech

adjectiveformal/literary

Chinese

半透明的;轻薄透明的

Definition

Light, delicate, and translucent; so fine as to be almost transparent.

Word family

  • diaphanously/daɪˈæfənəsli/(adv)半透明地
  • diaphaneity/ˌdaɪæfəˈniːɪti/(n)透明性

Collocations

  • diaphanous fabric
  • diaphanous gown
  • diaphanous curtains
  • diaphanous wings

Examples

  1. 1.She wore a diaphanous silk shawl that revealed the outline of her shoulders beneath. (translucent fabric)
  2. 2.The dragonfly's diaphanous wings caught the light like stained glass. (almost transparent)

Synonyms

  • sheer/ʃɪr/thin enough to see through, everyday word
  • translucent/trænsˈluːsənt/allowing light through
  • gossamer/ˈɡɒsəmər/cobweb-fine

Etymology

from Greek "diaphanes" — dia- (through) + phainein (to show) — showing through