diaphanous
Advancedzipf 1.97Pronunciation
/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.She wore a diaphanous silk shawl that revealed the outline of her shoulders beneath. (translucent fabric)
- 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