rarefaction
|ra-re-fac-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌrɛrəˈfækʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌreərəˈfækʃən/
becoming or making less dense
Etymology
'rarefaction' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'rarificare,' where 'rarus' meant 'thin, rare' and 'facere' meant 'to make'.
'rarefaction' changed from the medieval Latin word 'rarificatio' and from French 'raréfaction' and eventually became the modern English word 'rarefaction'.
Initially, it meant 'the action of making something rare or less dense', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a reduction in density or pressure, especially a region of reduced pressure in a wave'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a region in a longitudinal wave (such as a sound wave) where the particles are spread apart, producing reduced pressure or density; the opposite of compression.
In a sound wave, rarefaction alternates with compression as the wave travels through the air.
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Noun 2
the process or act of making something less dense, less concentrated, or more sparse.
The rarefaction of the gas in the chamber lowered its pressure significantly.
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Last updated: 2026/01/16 06:44