An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A crystalline form of → carbon, which is the hardest substance known. Each carbon in a diamond crystal is bonded to four other carbon atoms forming a tetrahedral unit. This tetrahedral bonding of five carbon atoms forms an incredibly strong molecule. Diamond has a very high → refractive index and → dispersive power. It is colorless when pure, and sometimes colored by traces of impurities. Natural diamond was formed billions of years ago within the Earth → mantle at depths greater than 150 km, where pressure is roughly 5 giga→ pascals and the temperature is around 1200 °C. Diamonds reach the surface of the Earth via volcanic eruptions. Similarly very small diamonds (micrometer and nanometer sizes) are usually found in impact sites of → meteorites. Such impact events create shock zones of high pressure and temperature suitable for diamond formation. When diamond is exposed to high temperatures or ion bombardment, it will be transformed into → graphite.

Diamond, from O.Fr. diamant, from M.L. diamant-, diamas-, from L. adamant-, adamas "hardest metal," from Gk. adamas "unbreakable," from → a- "not" + daman "to subdue, to tame;" cognate with Pers. dâm "a tame animal."

Almâs, loanword from Gk., as above.

An intense flash of light that happens a few seconds before and after totality during a solar eclipse. The effect is caused by the last rays of sunlight before totality (or the first rays of sunlight after totality) shining through valleys on the edge of the Moon.

→ diamond; → ring; → effect.

Oskar, → effect; angoštar "a ring worn on the finger," from angošt "finger," Mid.Pers. angušt "finger, toe," Av. angušta- "toe," from ank- "curved, crooked," cf. Skt. angustha- "thumb," ankah "hook, bent," Gk. angkon "elbow," angkura "anchor," L. angulum "corner" (E. angle), Lith. anka "loop," O.E. ancleo "ankle," O.H.G. ango "hook," PIE base *ang-/*ank- "to bend"; → diamond.

A device with a restricted aperture, located in an optical system at any of several points, that cuts off marginal light rays not essential to image formation.

From L.L. diaphragma, from Gk. diaphragma "partition, barrier," from diaphrassein "to barricade," from dia- "across" + phrassein "to fence or hedge in."

Miyânban, from miyân "middle, interior, between" (Mid.Pers. miyân "middle," Av. maiδya-, maiδyāna- "medium, middle," cf. Skt. mádhya- "middle, intemediate," Gk. mesos "middle," L. medius "middle," Goth. midjis, O.E. midd "middle," O.C.S. medzu "between," Arm. mej "middle," PIE *medhyo- "middle," , from base *me- "between") + band "barrier, shutter," from bastan "to bind, shut" (Mid.Pers. bastan/vastan "to bind, shut," Av./O.Pers. band- "to bind, fetter," banda- "band, tie," cf. Skt. bandh- "to bind, tie, fasten," PIE *bhendh- "to bind").

1) General: A division in two parts or kinds that differ widely from or contradict each other.
2) Astro.: The phase of the Moon or a planet when half of its surface appears illuminated by the Sun.

From Gk. dichotomia "cutting in two," from dicho- "apart, in two," combining form of dicha "in two, asunder," akin to → di-, + temnein "to cut."

Dopâregi, from do→ two + pâré "piece, part, portion, fragment" (Mid.Pers. pârag "piece, part, portion; gift, offering, bribe;" Av. pāra- "debt," from par- "to remunerate, equalize; to condemn;" PIE *per- "to sell, hand over, distribute; to assign;" cf. L. pars "part, piece, side, share," portio "share, portion;" Gk. peprotai "it has been granted;" Skt. purti- "reward;" Hitt. pars-, parsiya- "to break, crumble") + -(g)i a noun/state suffix.

An → interference filter used to selectively pass light of a small range of colors while reflecting other colors.

→ dichroism, → filter.

Property of some crystals in which radiation polarized in one plane relative to the crystalline axes is freely transmitted, but radiation polarized perpendicular to this is absorbed. Tourmaline is a natural mineral with this property; Polaroid is a synthetic dichroic substance.

From Gk. dichro(os), from di- "two," → di-, + chroma "color" + -ism.

Dofâmi, from do "two," → bi- + fâm "color," + -i noun suffix.

A reference source in print or electronic form containing words alphabetically arranged along with information about their forms, meanings, pronunciations, etymologies, etc.

M.L. dictionarium "collection of words and phrases," from L. dictionarius "of words," from dictio "word" from dic-, p.p. stem of L. dicere "speak, tell, say," from PIE root *deik- "to point out;" cf. Av. daēs- "to show," daēsa- "sign, omen;" cf. Skt. deś- "to show, point out;" → form.

Farhang, → culture.

A substance in which an electric field gives rise to no net flow of electric charge but to a displacement of charge in opposite directions. The displacement is usually small compared to atomic dimensions. Dielectrics differ from conductors in that they have no free electrons to move through the material under the influence of an electric field. Most insulating materials, e.g. air, porcelain, mica, glass, are dielectrics. A perfect vacuum would constitute a perfect dielectric. → diamagnetic.

Dielectric, from Gk. dia- a prefix used with several meanings "passing through; thoroughly; completely; going apart," and in the present case "not, opposed;" → electric.

Nâbarg, from nâ- "not," → un-, + barq→ electricity.

Any internal combustion → engine in which → adiabatic compression raises the temperature of air high enough so that fuel ignites spontaneously when injected.

After Rudolf Diesel (1858-1913), German engineer; → engine.

An → equation of state for → real gases which leads to the → van der Waals equation as a → first approximation. It is of the form P(V - b) [exp (a/VRT)] = RT, where P is the pressure, V is the volume, T is the thermodynamic temperature, R is the → gas constant, and a and b are the constants characteristic of the gas.

Named after Conrad Dieterici (1858-1929), a German physicist; → equation.

To be unlike, dissimilar, or distinct in nature or qualities.

From O.Fr. différer, from L. differre "to set apart, differ," from → dis- "away from" + ferre "to carry, bear" (cf. Av. baraiti "carries," O.Pers. barantiy "they carry," Mod.Pers. barad "carries," Skt. bharati "carries," Arm. berem "I carry," Gk. pherein "to carry," O.E., O.H.G. beran, Rus. brat' "to take," bremya "a burden").

Degarsân "different," from degar "another, other" (Mid.Pers. dit, ditikar "the other, the second," O.Pers. duvitiya- "second," Av. daibitya-, bitya- "second," Skt. dvitiya- "second," PIE *duitiio- "second") + sân "manner, semblance" (variant sun, Mid.Pers. sân "manner, kind," Sogdian šôné "career") + budan "to be" (Mid.Pers. budan, from O.Pers./Av. bav- "to be; become, take place," Av. buta- perf. ptcpl. pass., bavaiti "becomes," Skt. bhavati "becomes, happens," bhavah "becoming; condition, state," PIE *bheu- "to be, come into being, become;" cf. Gk. phu- "become," phuein "to bring forth, make grow," L. fui "I was" (perf. tense of esse), futurus "that is to be, future," Ger. present first and second person sing. bin, bist, E. to be, O.Ir. bi'u "I am," Lith. bu'ti "to be," Rus. byt' "to be").

The quality or condition of being different.
Math.: the amount by which one quantity is greater or less than another.
Of two sets A and B, the set consisting of all elements of A which do not belong to B.

Noun form of → differ.

Not alike in character or quality; differing; dissimilar.

Adj. of → difference.

Of a mathematical function, the quality of being → differentiable.

Noun from → differentiable.

Capable of being → differentiated. → differentiable function.

From → differentiate + → -able.

Property of a mathematical function if it has a → derivative at a given point.

From → differentiable; → function.

1) Noun.
1a) General: A difference or the amount of difference, as in rate, cost, quantity, degree, or quality, between things that are comparable.
1b) Math.: An infinitesimally small change in a variable; a function of two variables that is obtained from a given function, y = f(x), and that expresses the increment in the given function as the derivative of the function, f'(x), times the increment in the independent variable, written as dy = f'(x) dx.
1c) Electronics: Referring to a circuit, device, or machine whose principle of operation depends on the difference between two opposing effects.
2) Adjective.
2a) General: Of, relating to, or constituting a difference.
2b) Physics: Pertaining to or involving the difference of two or more motions, forces, etc.
2c) Math.: Pertaining to or involving a → derivative or derivatives.

From M.L. differentialis, from differenti(a), → difference, + → -al.

Degarsâné, from degarsân, → different + noun suffix -é.

The two branches of mathematics that make up the → calculus. → differential calculus; → integral calculus.

→ differential; → integral; → calculus.

A branch of calculus which is concerned with the instantaneous rate of change of quantities with respect to other quantities, or more precisely, the local behavior of functions. → integral calculus.

→ differential; → calculus.

An equation expressing a relationship between an → independent variable, x, an unknown → function, y = f(x), and its → derivatives. The general form of a differential equation is: F(x, y, y', y'', ..., y⁽ⁿ⁾) = 0, or F(x,y, dy/dx, d²y/dx², ..., dⁿy/dxⁿ) = 0. See also: → ordinary differential equation; → partial differential equation; → linear differential equation; → exact differential equation; → first-order differential equation; → homogeneous linear differential equation; → nonhomogeneous linear differential equation; → differential equation with separated variables; → differential equation with separable variables.

→ differential; → equation.