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rarefaction

 - 6 dictionary results

rar⋅e⋅fac⋅tion

  [rair-uh-fak-shuhn]
Use rarefaction in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act or process of rarefying.
2. the state of being rarefied.
Origin:
1595–1605; < ML rārēfactiōn- (s. of rārēfactiō), equiv. to L rārēfact(us) (ptp. of rārēfacere; see rarefy ) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms:
rar⋅e⋅fac⋅tion⋅al, adjective
rar⋅e⋅fac⋅tive  [rair-uh-fak-tiv] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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rar·e·fac·tion   (râr'ə-fāk'shən)   
n.  

  1. A decrease in density and pressure in a medium, such as air, caused by the passage of a sound wave.

  2. The region in which this occurs.

rar'e·fac'tive adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: rar·e·fac·tion
Pronunciation: "rar-&-'fak-sh&n, "rer-
Function: noun
1 : the action or process of rarefying
2 : the quality or state of being rarefied; especially : an increase in porosity rarefaction in the bones>
3 : a stateor region of minimum pressure in a medium transversed by compressional waves (as sound waves) rarefactions of the sound wave> —rar·e·fac·tion·al /-shn&l, -sh&n-&l/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

rarefaction rar·e·fac·tion (râr'ə-fāk'shən)
n.
A decrease in density and pressure in a medium, such as air, caused by the passage of a sound wave.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
rarefaction   (râr'ə-fāk'shən)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A decrease in density and pressure in a medium, such as air, especially when caused by the passage of a wave, such as a sound wave.

  2. The region in which this occurs.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

rarefaction

in the physics of sound, segment of one cycle of a longitudinal wave during its travel or motion, the other segment being compression. If the prong of a tuning fork vibrates in the air, for example, the layer of air adjacent to the prong undergoes compression when the prong moves so as to squeeze the air molecules together. When the prong springs back in the opposite direction, however, it leaves an area of reduced air pressure. This is rarefaction. A succession of rarefactions and compressions makes up the longitudinal wave motion that emanates from an acoustic source

Learn more about rarefaction with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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