filter
Other forms: filtered; filtering; filters
A machine or device that removes dangerous or unwanted materials from a substance passing through it is called a filter. A kitchen water filter makes the water safer to drink — and also taste better.
Cars have many different filters, each of which takes impurities out of air, fuel, or water before it enters the car's engine. Most coffee makers require paper filters that allow brewed coffee to flow into the pot while leaving the coffee grounds behind. Filter is also a verb, meaning to strain or remove particular particles. The Medieval Latin root is filtrum, or "felt," which was used by early chemists to strain liquids, especially when purifying water.
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device that removes something from whatever passes through it
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types:
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air cleaner, air filter
a filter that removes dust from the air that passes through it
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bacteria bed
layer of sand or gravel used to expose sewage effluent to air and the action of microorganisms
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coffee filter
filter (usually of paper) that passes the coffee and retains the coffee grounds
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drain basket
a filter in a sink drain; traps debris but passes water
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filter bed
filter consisting of a layer of sand or gravel for filtering water
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fuel filter
a filter in the fuel line that screens out dirt and rust particles from the fuel
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diffusing screen, light filter
a transparent filter that reduces the light (or some wavelengths of the light) passing through it
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oil filter
a filter that removes impurities from the oil used to lubricate an internal-combustion engine
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strainer
a filter to retain larger pieces while smaller pieces and liquids pass through
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water filter
a filter to remove impurities from the water supply
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glass wool
glass fibers spun and massed into bundles resembling wool
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diatomaceous earth, diatomite, kieselguhr
a light soil consisting of siliceous diatom remains and often used as a filtering material
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colander, cullender
bowl-shaped strainer; used to wash or drain foods
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filter tip
an air filter on the end of a cigarette; contains material that filters the smoke
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screen, sieve
a strainer for separating lumps from powdered material or grading particles
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tea-strainer
a device to keep back tea leaves when pouring a cup of tea
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type of:
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device
an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
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remove by passing through a filter“filter out the impurities”
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synonyms:
filter out, filtrate, separate out, strain
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type of:
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separate
divide into components or constituents
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separate
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pass through
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types:
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infiltrate
pass into or through by filtering or permeating
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infiltrate
cause (a liquid) to enter by penetrating the interstices
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infiltrate
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run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream
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an electrical device that alters the frequency spectrum of signals passing through it
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types:
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high-pass filter
a filter that passes frequencies above a certain value and attenuates frequencies below that value
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low-pass filter
a filter that passes frequencies below a certain value and attenuates frequencies above that value
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type of:
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electrical device
a device that produces or is powered by electricity
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high-pass filter
/ˈfɪltər/
/ˈfɪltə/
Vocabulary lists containing filter
Learn these words from Into Literature, Grade 8, Unit 2, Lesson 4.
In Ibi Zoboi's debut novel, a young Haitian immigrant tries to make a new life for herself in Detroit.
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