reverse osmosis

noun Chemistry.

the process in which pure water is produced by forcing waste or saline water through a semipermeable membrane.

Origin of reverse osmosis

First recorded in 1950–55

Words nearby reverse osmosis

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Example sentences from the Web for reverse osmosis

  • Any winery that possesses a reverse-osmosis machine—usually used to remove alcohol from wine—can create their own concentrates.

    The Great Wine Cover-up |Keith Wallace |August 18, 2009 |DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for reverse osmosis

reverse osmosis

noun

a technique for purifying water, in which pressure is applied to force liquid through a semipermeable membrane in the opposite direction to that in normal osmosis

Medical definitions for reverse osmosis

reverse osmosis

n.

The movement of a solvent in the opposite direction from osmosis in such a manner that the solvent moves from a solution of greater concentration through a membrane to a solution of lesser concentration.

Scientific definitions for reverse osmosis

reverse osmosis

A method of producing pure water by forcing saline or impure water through a semipermeable membrane across which salts or impurities cannot pass. Reverse osmosis is used for water filtration, for desalinization of seawater, and in kidney dialysis machines.