diffract
/dɪˈfrækt/
verb
- To cause waves (such as light, sound, or water waves) to bend or spread out as they pass through an opening or around an obstacle.
- The narrow slit in the experiment diffracted the laser beam into a pattern of bright and dark bands.
- When ocean waves pass through a gap in a breakwater, they diffract and spread into the harbor.
- Scientists use special crystals to diffract X-rays and study the structure of molecules.