diffraction.

The spreading and interference of waves when they encounter an opening or obstacle.

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Words that belong together

• diffraction pattern
• diffraction grating

On the page

A diffraction pattern appeared beyond the slit.

The instrument used diffraction to separate the wavelengths.

Usage notes

Primary category: sci-fi. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.