FROM THE ARCHIVESunday, November 8, 2026
diaphanous
dye-AF-uh-nus/daɪˈæf.ən.əs//adjective
01 / MEANING
Light, fine, and translucent enough to let light pass through.
In a sentence.
- 01
Diaphanous curtains softened the morning sun.
- 02
A diaphanous mist drifted across the path.
Where it came from.
Diaphanous came through Medieval Latin from Greek diaphanēs, formed from dia-, ‘through,’ and a verb meaning ‘to appear or shine.’
Explore the sourceWhy it’s interesting.
It suggests something visible yet barely there, like gauze or a thin veil of mist.