Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DIAPHANOUS
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connect today's word to others:
Imagine Cinderella's glass slippers. They're diaphanous: thin, light, see-through, and delicate.
The Greek roots inside diaphanous literally mean "showing through." Dia means "through or across," and phainein means "to show, or to bring to light."
That means diaphanous is related to words like cellophane and fantasy (which, when you think about it, is something you mentally show to yourself) as well as words like diagonal, diadem, and diametric. Could you define those last two? How are they related to the idea of going across or through something?
And see if you can recall this synonym of diaphanous: something so thin, light, and delicate that it reminds you of the stuff spiderwebs are made of can be called g_____er.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"DIAPHANOUS"
Something diaphanous is thin, delicate, and sheer (or see-through).
Pronunciation:
die AFF uh nuss
Part of speech:
Adjective.
(Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late."
They can be used in two ways:
1. Right before a noun, as in "a diaphanous thing."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was diaphanous.")
Other forms:
I doubt you'll need any of these, but here they are:
diaphanously,
diaphaneity or diaphanousness,
and adiaphanous or nondiaphanous.
How to use it:
When "translucent," "transparent," "gauzy," or even "pellucid" isn't quite fancy enough for the lovely thing you've got in mind, pick "diaphanous." This word describes things that are beautiful, poetic, often feminine, and often mysterious or dreamlike.
Talk about diaphanous leaves, wings, insects, membranes, streams, papers, foods, fabrics, curtains, pieces of clothing, glass walls and glass-enclosed rooms, etc.
Or be more abstract and talk about diaphanous music, diaphanous sounds, or anything with a diaphanous quality, splendor, beauty, charm, or grace.
examples:
The girls wear basic black leotards, their clean unpainted faces motionless with concentration, as they practice their ballet posture with Miss Lauren. Her class is about fundamentals, not elaborate makeup or diaphanous skirts.
The Glass Menagerie opens on a dreamlike set with diaphanous music. "The scene is memory and is therefore nonrealistic," Williams writes.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "diaphanous" means when you can explain it without saying "sheer" or "filmy."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(A particular song, poem, work of art, character, or performance) has a diaphanous quality, as if _____."
Example: "Elton John's 'Too Many Tears' has a diaphanous quality, as if sunlight is shining through it."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "A Vocabulary of Movie Quotes."
Jean Picker Firstenberg at the American Film Institute (AFI) says, "Great movie quotes become part of our cultural vocabulary." I believe it! I bet you can recall, verbatim, any of the AFI's "100 Greatest Movie Quotes of All Time" if all I give you is a single word from the quote.
For example, if I give you the word KANSAS, I bet you can recite this: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," from The Wizard of Oz (1939).
I'll share each answer in the following issue. And we’ll work our way forward in time, starting with the oldest movies. Let’s play!
From the previous issue: From a 1982 film, what's the famous quote that includes the word PHONE?
Answer: From E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial: "E.T. phone home."
Try this today: From a 1987 film, what's the famous quote that includes the word CORNER?
review today's word:
1. One opposite of DIAPHANOUS is
A. OVERBLOWN
B. OPAQUE
C. OPEN
2. Diaphanous _____ formed the wings of her _____ costume.
A. tulle .. otherworldly
B. velvet .. nightmarish
C. denim .. flamboyant
Answers are below.
a final word:
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From Liesl's blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. B
2. A
Imagine Cinderella's glass slippers. They're diaphanous: thin, light, see-through, and delicate.
"DIAPHANOUS" Something diaphanous is thin, delicate, and sheer (or see-through). Part of speech: Other forms:
The girls wear basic black leotards, their clean unpainted faces motionless with concentration, as they practice their ballet posture with Miss Lauren. Her class is about fundamentals, not elaborate makeup or diaphanous skirts.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "diaphanous" means when you can explain it without saying "sheer" or "filmy."
Fill in the blanks: "(A particular song, poem, work of art, character, or performance) has a diaphanous quality, as if _____."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. One opposite of DIAPHANOUS is
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |