to osmose
9.2
Water moves through a thin layer, like a cell wall, to even amounts on both sides
- verb
- /ˈɑːzmoʊz/
- Specialized
:
osmosear
- During the experiment, the molecules would osmose from the saltwater solution into the freshwater side.
Examples
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The process allows substances to osmose through the cell membrane, maintaining balance.
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Plants osmose water and nutrients through their roots to grow healthy.
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So via osmosis, this one has gone from my tongue, it's gone down my throat to my feet, up and out to my lips somehow.
Synonyms
9.9
To pass through a thin barrier that only lets tiny parts through
has identical meaning but uses membrane or diffusion wording rather than semipermeable focus
How Fast
Surface Forms
Etymology
Osmose comes from the Greek root osmos meaning 'push' or 'impulse', the same root as osmosis, and the image is of things being 'pushed' through a thin layer. So, to osmose in biology is for water or other substances to pass through a membrane to make concentrations even.