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dilution

UK/daɪˈljuːʃən/US/daɪˈluʃən/
nounB2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #14,690 of 15,258mostly written

Other forms: dilutions

Dilution is weakening a solution by adding more liquid. Dilution of the acid, a tenfold dilution, dilution rate.

In a laboratory it is done in careful steps, and the rule for strong acid is to add the acid to the water rather than the other way round, because the reverse can spit boiling liquid. In business, dilution means existing shareholders owning a smaller slice.

Definitions of dilution

  1. 1noundilutionWeakening a solution by adding more liquid.B2+

    “The label says to use the cleaner at a dilution of one part to ten parts water.”

dilution is a weakening.

Where it comes from

  1. Proto-Indo-European

    *lewh₃-

  2. Latin

    dīlūtus

  3. English

    dilute

  4. English, today

    dilution

Built from

  • dīluere · Latin — to wash away, dissolve, cause to melt, dilute
  • dis- · Latin — away, apart
  • luere · Latin — to wash

From dilute + -ion. dilute comes from Latin dīlūtus, from dīluere (“to wash away, dissolve, cause to melt, dilute”), from dī-, dis- (“away, apart”) + luere (“to wash”). See lave, and compare deluge.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Chemistry & Elements

Practise this word

dilution in the wild

  • A dilution gene is any one of a number of genes that act to create a lighter coat color in living creatures.

    Dilution gene

  • Buckskin occurs as a result of the cream dilution gene acting on a bay horse.

    Buckskin (horse)

  • Buckskins should not be confused with dun-colored horses, which have the dun dilution gene, not the cream gene.

    Buckskin (horse)

  • Mixing of the isotopic standard with the sample effectively "dilutes" the isotopic enrichment of the standard and this forms the basis for the isotope dilution method.

    Isotope dilution

  • The MIC is determined by preparing a dilution series of the chemical, adding agar or broth, then inoculating with bacteria or fungi, and incubating at a suitable temperature.

    Minimum inhibitory concentration

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the luere family

diluteddilute

dilution — used about once every 81,824 pages · #14,690 · point at the bar for the others