osmosis means the net movement of solvent molecules, usually water, from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration through a partially permeable membrane.
osmosis is pronounced /ɒzˈməʊ̯sɪs/.
Why “osmosis” is a great word
Osmosis is the net movement of solvent molecules through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated to a more concentrated solution, or the gradual, often unconscious, assimilation of ideas or knowledge. From the French *endosmose* and *exosmose*, coined in 1826 by Henri Dutrochet, from Ancient Greek ἔνδον (éndon, "within") or ἔξω (éxō, "outer") + ὠσμός (ōsmós, "push, impulsion"). Unlike "diffusion," which describes a general drift of particles, or "study," which implies conscious effort, osmosis is a specific, passive pilgrimage—a selective permeability that allows passage without permission. It is the root-hair drinking from the soil, the salt-cured grape shriveling in the sun, the child absorbing the cadence of a dialect without being taught. It is the slow, inevitable saturation by the world's stronger solution, the becoming of environment into self.
Etymology
From endosmose and exosmose, both coined by French physician Henri Dutrochet in 1826; from (respectively) Ancient Greek ἔνδον (éndon, “within”) and Ancient Greek ἔξω (éxō, “outer, external”), plus Ancient Greek ὠσμός (ōsmós, “push, impulsion”), from ὠθέω (ōthéō).
noun
- The net movement of solvent molecules, usually water, from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration through a partially permeable membrane.
- Passive absorption or impartation of information, habits, etc.; the process of teaching or learning particular knowledge incidentally rather than consciously.“Near-synonym: serendipity”
Words closest in meaning
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