diaphaneity
(daɪˌæfəˈniːɪtɪ)
Also 7 -iety.
[mod. f. Gr. διαϕανής, stem διαϕανε-, transparent, or διαϕάνεια transparency: see -ity. Perhaps originating in a med. or mod.L. *diaphaneitās. Occurring in F. (diaphanéité) in 14th c. (Hatz.-Darm.); in Eng. late in 17th c., an earlier synonym being diaphanity (q.v.). The corresponding form of the adj. is diaphaneous.]
The quality of being freely pervious to light; transparency.
| 1660 Boyle New Exp. Phys. Mech. xxxvii. 311 The Diaphaneity of the Air. 1661 ― Examen vii. (1682) 83 The difficulty of explaining the Diaphaneity of glass or crystal. 1662 Merrett tr. Neri's Art of Glass xxxvi, Until the Sea⁓green lose it's transparencie and diaphanietie. 1671 Phil. Trans. VI. 3046 The different Diaphaneities of the Humors of the Eye. 1678 Hobbes Decam. ix. 121 The Causes of Diaphaniety and Refraction. 1825 New Monthly Mag. XIII. 206 The diaphaneity of the material. 1837 Whewell Hist. Induct. Sc. (1857) II. 399 The diaphaneity of bodies is very distinct from their power of transmitting heat. |