/ ˈdaɪəfræm; NAmE / noun
1.
( anatomy ) the layer of muscle between the lungs and the stomach, used especially to control breathing
2.
( BrE also cap ) a rubber or plastic device that a woman places inside her vagina before having sex to prevent sperm from entering the womb and making her pregnant
3.
any thin piece of material used to separate the parts of a machine, etc.
4.
( technical ) a thin disc used to turn electronic signals into sound and sound into electronic signals in telephones, loudspeakers , etc.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from late Latin diaphragma , from Greek , from dia through, apart + phragma a fence.