noun · irregular · countable / uncountable · rare

osmosis

osmosis · osmoses

осмос

Osmose, Nachvollzug, but see Nachempfindung, Nachvollziehung

The net movement of solvent molecules, usually water, from a region of lower solute…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.

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UK/ɒzˈməʊ̯sɪs/US/ɑzˈmoʊ̯sɪs/

» We observed osmosis in today's science experiment.

Meaning

2 senses

(countable, uncountable)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.
Osmose
о́смосósmos
о́смосósmos
(biology, chemistry) diffusion of molecules through a semipermeable membrane from a place of higher concentration to a place of lower concentration until the concentration on both sides is equal
(countable, figuratively, uncountable)Passive absorption or impartation of information, habits, etc.; the process of teaching or learning particular knowledge incidentally rather than consciously.
Near-synonym: serendipity
I was reading about chickens, and I guess I learned about hawks through osmosis.
but see Nachempfindung, Nachvollziehung, Nachvollzug

Examples

4 sentences

We observed osmosis in today's science experiment.
CC BY · Tatoeba · mervert1 · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Reverse osmosis consists in forcing seawater through a membrane that filters out the salt.
CC BY · Tatoeba · Dreamk33 · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
You need to do the homework. You can't learn by osmosis.
CC0 · Tatoeba · shekitten · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Sun Works staff member Viraj Puri explains that the river water is purified and desalinated by a "reverse osmosis" machine.
CC0 · Tatoeba · Cangarejo · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem

Translations

8 languages

Українська

By meaning 1

movement of molecules across a membrane:

Русский

By meaning 1

movement of molecules across a membrane:

Deutsch

By meaning 2

movement of molecules across a membrane:

picking up knowledge accidentally:

Origin

From endosmose and exosmose, both coined by French physician Henri Dutrochet in 1826; from

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).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source