From New Latin diffrāctiō (in which coined by Francesco Maria Grimaldi), from Latin diffrāctus, past participle of Latin diffringo (“to shatter, to break into pieces”). Coined in Physico-mathesis de lumine (1665) by Francesco Maria Grimaldi.

• IPA^(key): /dɪˈfɹækʃən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

diffraction (countable and uncountable, plural diffractions)

1. (physics) The bending of a wave around an obstacle.
2. (quantum mechanics) The breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure (e.g. a slit), followed by reconstruction of the wave by interference.

• IPA^(key): /di.fʁak.sjɔ̃/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

diffraction f (plural diffractions)

1. diffraction

• diffracter
• diffractif

• “diffraction”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012