Dictionary

osmosis en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɑsˈmoʊ̯sɪs/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• ŏs-
• /ɒsˈməʊ̯sɪs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• ŏz-mōˈ -sĭs
• /ɒzˈməʊ̯sɪs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɑzˈmoʊ̯sɪs/ (General-American)

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).

Meanings

1. (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.
2. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Passive absorption or impartation of information, habits, etc.; the process of teaching or learning particular knowledge incidentally rather than consciously.
   • I was reading about chickens, and I guess I learned about hawks through osmosis.
   • At age fourteen, by a process of osmosis, of dirty jokes, whispered secrets and filthy ballads, Tristram learned of sex. 1999, Neil Gaiman, Stardust (Perennial paperback), published 2001, pages 36–37:
   • Near-synonym: serendipity

Forms

Deriveds

pressure-retarded osmosis · chemosmosis · thermoosmosis · electroosmosis · endosmosis · assmosis · reverse osmosis · chemiosmosis · exosmosis · diosmosis · zoosmosis · hyperosmosis

Relateds

osmose · osmotically · osmotic

Synonyms

serendipity

Translations (57)

bn অভিস্রবণ (movement of molecules across a membrane) · ta பிரசாரணம் (movement of molecules across a membrane) · de Hineindenkung (picking up knowledge accidentally) · mi rerewai (movement of molecules across a membrane) · ko 삼투 (movement of molecules across a membrane) · ca osmosi (movement of molecules across a membrane) · fi through osmosis (picking up knowledge accidentally) · ja 浸透 (movement of molecules across a membrane) · is himnuflæði (movement of molecules across a membrane) · cs osmóza (movement of molecules across a membrane) · ast ósmosis (movement of molecules across a membrane) · vi sự thẩm thấu (movement of molecules across a membrane) · nl osmose (movement of molecules across a membrane) · gu અભિસરણ (movement of molecules across a membrane) · de Nachvollzug (picking up knowledge accidentally) · pl osmoza (movement of molecules across a membrane) · pt osmose (movement of molecules across a membrane) · da osmose (movement of molecules across a membrane) · fa اسمز (movement of molecules across a membrane) · ar خَاصِّيَّة أُسْمُوزِيَّة (movement of molecules across a membrane) · ru о́смос (movement of molecules across a membrane) · de Osmose (movement of molecules across a membrane) · fi osmoosi (movement of molecules across a membrane) · fi samalla (picking up knowledge accidentally) · cmn 耳濡目染 (picking up knowledge accidentally) · es ósmosis (movement of molecules across a membrane) · tl pananagos (movement of molecules across a membrane) · te ద్రవాభిసరణం (movement of molecules across a membrane) · ml വൃതിവ്യാപനം (movement of molecules across a membrane) · eo osmozo (movement of molecules across a membrane) · cmn 渗透 (movement of molecules across a membrane) · hi परासरण (movement of molecules across a membrane) · de Nachvollziehung (picking up knowledge accidentally) · id osmosis (movement of molecules across a membrane) · an osmosi (movement of molecules across a membrane) · fr osmose (movement of molecules across a membrane) · uk о́смос (movement of molecules across a membrane) · ga osmóis (movement of molecules across a membrane) · sv osmos (movement of molecules across a membrane) · ta சவ்வூடு பரவல் (movement of molecules across a membrane) · be о́смас (movement of molecules across a membrane) · it osmosi (movement of molecules across a membrane) · de Gedankenansteckung (picking up knowledge accidentally) · pt osmose (picking up knowledge accidentally) · de Ansichtenübernahme (picking up knowledge accidentally) · pl osmoza (picking up knowledge accidentally) · sn musenerera (movement of molecules across a membrane) · de but see Nachempfindung (picking up knowledge accidentally) · de Gedankenübernahme (picking up knowledge accidentally) · el ώσμωση (movement of molecules across a membrane) · de Gefühlsansteckung (picking up knowledge accidentally) · gl osmose (movement of molecules across a membrane) · th การออสโมสิส (movement of molecules across a membrane) · ar تَنَاضُح (movement of molecules across a membrane) · hu ozmózis (movement of molecules across a membrane) · km អូស្មូស (movement of molecules across a membrane) · bg осмоза (movement of molecules across a membrane)