dilution
making liquid less concentrated
Dilution is making a liquid weaker by adding water or another liquid.
dilution of [a liquid/substance] with [water/a solvent]
- The product is safe for floors after dilution with water.
- Careful dilution reduces the acid's strength before disposal.
- The syrup needs dilution before it is served as a drink.
- Add water for dilution.
- The cleaner needs dilution before use.
weakening of impact or quality
A dilution of an idea, quality, or power means it becomes weaker or less clear.
dilution of [power/standards/message/value]
- The committee worried about the dilution of accountability if too many departments shared the project.
- Adding more and more features led to a dilution of the app's original focus.
- Critics saw the compromise as a dilution of the reform plan.
- Too many ideas caused a dilution of the message.
- The new rules led to a dilution of responsibility.
reduced shareholder ownership
In business, dilution happens when new shares make each existing share represent a smaller part of the company.
dilution of [an investor's stake/shares]; dilution from [new shares/options]
- The founders accepted some dilution when they raised another round of funding.
- Existing shareholders faced dilution after the company issued new shares to employees.
- Investors asked for protection against dilution in the next financing.
- New shares caused dilution for early investors.
- Dilution made her stake in the company smaller.
diluted sample or solution
A dilution can be a prepared sample that has been weakened with water or another liquid.
[a/an] [ratio] dilution of [a sample]
- The lab tested a 1:100 dilution of the blood sample.
- Prepare three dilutions and label each tube clearly.
- The instructions call for a 1:10 dilution, not the undiluted concentrate.
- The lab made a weak dilution of the sample.
- Each dilution went into a different tube.
weakening a brand's distinctiveness
Brand dilution happens when a brand becomes less special, less clear, or less valuable.
dilution of [a brand/trademark]
- Too many low-quality licensed products can cause dilution of a luxury brand.
- The company sued to prevent dilution of its famous trademark.
- A confusing brand extension risks dilution rather than growth.
- Too many unrelated products can cause dilution of a brand.
- The company wanted to avoid dilution of its logo.
- Base: dilution
- Plural: dilution, dilutions
anti-dilution provision
1investor protection against dilution
An anti-dilution provision helps protect investors if the company issues more shares later.
- The investment agreement included an anti-dilution provision for the preferred shareholders.
- Without an anti-dilution provision, the new funding round would reduce her stake.
- Lawyers reviewed the anti-dilution provision before the startup closed the deal.
dilution factor
1amount a sample is diluted
A dilution factor tells you how many times weaker the final sample is than the original sample.
- The final volume was 100 mL from 10 mL of sample, so the dilution factor was 10.
- Remember to multiply the measured concentration by the dilution factor.
- The worksheet asks students to calculate the dilution factor for each tube.
dilution ratio
1mixing proportion for dilution
A dilution ratio tells you how much concentrate and how much water or other liquid to use.
- The label recommends a dilution ratio of 1:5 for heavy-duty cleaning.
- Follow the dilution ratio on the bottle before spraying the cleaner.
- On this label, a 1:10 dilution ratio means one part concentrate with ten parts water.
serial dilution
1repeated step-by-step dilution
A serial dilution makes a sample weaker several times in a row.
- Scientists used serial dilution to estimate the number of bacteria in the sample.
- Each step in the serial dilution reduced the concentration by a factor of ten.
- The students performed a serial dilution before plating the bacteria.
vote dilution
1reduced voting power
Vote dilution happens when election rules make some voters' votes count for less in practice.
- The plaintiffs argued that the district map caused vote dilution.
- At-large elections can lead to vote dilution if a minority group's votes are spread too thin to elect a preferred candidate.
- The court reviewed the evidence of vote dilution in the new voting plan.