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filter Definition

fil·ter (fil′tər)

noun

  1. a device for separating solid particles, impurities, etc. from a liquid or gas by passing it through a porous substance
  2. any porous substance used or suitable for this, as sand, charcoal, felt, etc.
  3. Physics
    1. a device or substance that passes electric currents of certain frequencies or frequency ranges while preventing the passage of others
    2. a device or substance that partially or completely absorbs certain light rays a color filter for a camera lens

Etymology: ME filtre < OFr < ML filtrum, feltrum, felt, fulled wool (used for straining liquors) < Gmc: see felt

transitive verb

  1. to pass (a liquid or gas) through a filter
  2. to remove or separate (solid particles, impurities, etc.) from a liquid or gas by means of a filter: often with out
  3. to act as a filter for

Etymology: Fr filtrer < the n.

intransitive verb

  1. to pass through or as if through a filter
  2. to move or pass slowly the news filtered through town

filter Synonyms

filter

v.

  1. To soak slowly

    seep, osmose, soak through, penetrate, permeate, distill, percolate, leach, exude, ooze, drain, metastasize, infiltrate, trickle.

  2. To clean by filtering

    purify, sift, sieve, strain, refine, filtrate, clarify, clean, separate.

filter Telecom Definition

A device that allows some signals to pass through but absorbs, attenuates, blocks, rejects, or removes all other signals, depending on their frequency (electrical) or wavelength (optical). Active filters require electrical power to operate, while passive filters do not. A low-pass filter passes all frequencies below a certain value, but blocks all others. A high-pass filter passes all frequencies above a certain value, but blocks all others.A band-pass filter passes all frequencies in a designated band, but blocks all others. See also absorption, active, attenuation, electrical, frequency, optical, passive, signal, and wavelength.

filter Usage Examples

Object

low-pass: Where the video signal is entirely encoded in digital form, the low-pass filtered step will not have the desired effect.

Converse of object

  • polarize: The polarizing filter prevents false switching with shiny objects.
  • polarize: High extinction polarizing filters for microscopy are preferable for polarization studies ( a microscope dealer's own brand should be of good quality ).
  • activate: Now press the Enable this rule button to activate the spam filter.

Adjective modifier

  • particulate: Euro 4 emission compliant, it is fitted with a particulate filter.
  • auditory: The graphic equalizer display is based on a number of auditory filter sized channels, each 1 bark wide.
  • fluval: Comes with 3 x fluval 404 and 1 x 403 external filters and 2 x fluval 4+ internal filters plus all heating and lighting.
  • neutral: For the most popular artifacts such as ceramic color standards and neutral density filters, streamlined procedures give a fast turn-around.
  • resonant: Operator is the synth you've always dreamed of: FM synthesis with easy control, plus a resonant multimode filter.
  • dichroic: Buried up lighters with dichroic filters are installed at the base of each column along the length of the colonnade.

Modifies a noun

  • cartridge: HEPA filter cartridges vary in the amount of time they last.
  • feeder: This is because shellfish are filter feeders and if they feed in water contaminated by sewage they can concentrate the viruses within their bodies.
  • coffee: Capital Coffee London Roasters & Suppliers of Coffee beans & filter coffee to restaurants, cafes, hotels, offices & wholesale.

Followed by an intransitive particle

through: Maybe the distressing news had filtered through to Burnley's back four.

Noun used with modifier

  • spam: Near the top right of the screen there is a button marked Insert spam filter.
  • low-pass: In addition, you can bypass the low-pass filter entirely, for a bandwidth of 20 kHz.
  • bandpass: We can recognize the R-C frequency-sensitive network as being a 2 nd order bandpass filter.
  • comb: The difference between S-Video and Composite really depends on which devise has the better Y/C separation or Comb filter.
  • tc: The handle is used as the target in classid and flowid phrases of tc filter statements.
  • air: However, testing the theory using an air filter enclosed in a vented housing should dispel the myth.

Browse dictionary entries near filter

  1. ‹ fils
  2. ‹ filose
  3. ‹ filopodium
  4. ‹ filo
  5. ‹ filmy
  6. ‹ filmstrip
  7. ‹ filmography
  8. ‹ filmmaker
  9. ‹ filmic
  10. ‹ filmgoer
  1. filter bed ›
  2. filter feeder ›
  3. filter paper ›
  4. filter tip ›
  5. filterable ›
  6. filterable virus ›
  7. filtering ›
  8. filtering bridge ›
  9. filth ›
  10. filthy ›