A diaphragm is something flexible that serves as a barrier, like the muscular wall that stretches across your body to support your lungs, or the rubber dome worn across the cervix during intercourse to prevent conception.
The Greek word diáphragma referred to the body's midriff and came from the root phrágma, meaning "fence." This led to the Middle English diafragma, also referring to the muscular stretch below the lungs. The idea of a diaphragm as a contraceptive first surfaced in 1933. A diaphragm is also the part of the camera called a "stop," which adjusts the amount of light, and it is a thin, vibrating disc used in electronics to transfer sound.
