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ex·po·sure (ĭk-spōzhər)
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n.
1. The act or an instance of exposing, as:
a. An act of subjecting or an instance of being subjected to an action or an influence: their first exposure to big city life.
b. Appearance in public or in the mass media: an actor with much recent exposure in television.
c. Revelation, especially of crime or guilt: exposure of graft in county government.
d. The act of making visible a body part, especially the genitals, in public or in a manner that is illegal or inappropriate.
2. The condition of being exposed, especially to severe weather or other forces of nature: was hospitalized for the effects of exposure.
3. A position in relation to climatic or weather conditions or points of the compass: Our house has a southern exposure.
4.
a. The act of exposing a surface capable of registering a photographic image, such as a digital sensor or a chemically treated film or plate.
b. The amount of radiant energy needed to expose such a surface effectively.
c. A photographic plate or a piece of film so exposed.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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