diaphragm

/ˌdaɪəˈfræm/

/ˈdaɪəfræm/

Other forms: diaphragms

Ever had the hiccups? Then you're familiar with your diaphragm, the large muscle that stretches across your midriff to support your lungs and help you breathe. When you get the hiccups, your diaphragm spasms uncontrollably.

The Greek word diáphragma referred to the body's midriff and came from the root phrágma, meaning "fence." This led to the Middle English diafragma, also referring to the muscular stretch below the lungs. The idea of a diaphragm as a contraceptive first surfaced in 1933. A diaphragm is also the part of the camera called a "stop," which adjusts the amount of light, and it is a thin, vibrating disc used in electronics to transfer sound.

Definitions of diaphragm

1. noun

   (anatomy) a muscular partition separating the abdominal and thoracic cavities; functions in respiration
   synonyms: midriff

   type of:

   membrane, tissue layer

   a pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects the organs or cells of animals or plants

   muscle system, muscular structure, musculature

   the muscular system of an organism
2. noun

   a mechanical device in a camera that controls size of aperture of the lens
   “the new cameras adjust the diaphragm automatically”

   synonyms: stop

   types:

   iris, iris diaphragm

   diaphragm consisting of thin overlapping plates that can be adjusted to change the diameter of a central opening

   type of:

   mechanical device

   mechanism consisting of a device that works on mechanical principles
3. noun

   a contraceptive device consisting of a flexible dome-shaped cup made of rubber or plastic; it is filled with spermicide and fitted over the uterine cervix
   synonyms: contraceptive diaphragm, pessary

   type of:

   birth control device, contraceptive, contraceptive device, preventative, preventive, prophylactic device

   an agent or device intended to prevent conception
4. noun

   electro-acoustic transducer that vibrates to receive or produce sound waves
   type of:

   disc, disk

   a flat circular plate