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Definition of diffract verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

diffract

verb
 
/dɪˈfrækt/
 
/dɪˈfrækt/
(physics)
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they diffract
 
/dɪˈfrækt/
 
/dɪˈfrækt/
he / she / it diffracts
 
/dɪˈfrækts/
 
/dɪˈfrækts/
past simple diffracted
 
/dɪˈfræktɪd/
 
/dɪˈfræktɪd/
past participle diffracted
 
/dɪˈfræktɪd/
 
/dɪˈfræktɪd/
-ing form diffracting
 
/dɪˈfræktɪŋ/
 
/dɪˈfræktɪŋ/
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  1. diffract something to break up a stream of light into a series of dark and light bands or into the different colours of the spectrum
    Word Originearly 19th cent.: from Latin diffract- ‘broken in pieces’, from the verb diffringere, from dis- ‘away, from’ + frangere ‘to break’.
See diffract in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee diffract in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
previously
adverb
 
 
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