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/ |
- diffract something to break up a stream of light into a series of dark and light bands or into the different colours of the spectrumWord Originearly 19th cent.: from Latin diffract- ‘broken in pieces’, from the verb diffringere, from dis- ‘away, from’ + frangere ‘to break’.