- fil´ter|less
- fil|ter «FIHL tuhr», noun, verb.–n.1. a device for passing a liquid or gas slowly through paper, sand, charcoal, felt, or other porous media. A filter is used to remove impurities from drinking water.2. paper, sand, charcoal, felt, or other porous material used in such a device.3. any one of various devices for removing dust, smoke, germs, or other pollutant from the air.4. the tip on a filter cigarette, designed to trap nicotine and tars before the smoke is inhaled; filter tip.5. a screen of colored gelatin or glass used before a camera lens to absorb entirely or partially certain rays of light: »
Putting a yellow filter in front of a camera lens causes less blue light to reach the film.
6. Physics. a) a device for permitting only waves of particular frequencies to pass, eliminating or reducing the others. b) an electric circuit which permits a particular range of frequencies to be transmitted while eliminating other frequencies. c) a substance or device for absorbing or reflecting rays of light of particular wave lengths.7. British. a lane for motor vehicles turning or moving away from the main flow of traffic, especially at an intersection.–v.t.2. to act as a filter for: »Charcoal filters many gases.
3. to remove or control by a filter: »Filter the dirt out of drinking water.
–v.i.1. to pass or flow very slowly: »Water filters through the sandy soil and into the well. Figurative. All the news about the party that has filtered East in recent years has been good (New Yorker).
2. British. to turn or move away from the main flow of traffic, especially at an intersection: »A traffic light with a green arrow allows drivers to filter to the left or the right.
╂[< Medieval Latin filtrum felt < Germanic (compare Old Saxon filt. See related etym. at felt2. (Cf. ↑felt)]–fil´ter|er, noun.–fil´ter|less, adjective.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
