See-through vs transparent

differenceusageword-choiceword-usage

I know that 'see-through' means transparent.

Is There any differences in their usage?

Is 'see-through' the childish way to say 'transparent'?

Best Answer

"See-through" is specific to clothing. You can say "She was wearing a see-through vest" It means a vest made of thin fabric. It might not be fully transparent, but it is thin enough that you can see whatever is underneath it. A synonym is "sheer". Lace, gauze, netting... are all see-through fabrics.

It would be rather unusual to use "see-through" in other contexts, though it is possible in contexts in which there is an object that is usually opaque, but which has been designed as partially transparent. "Samsung release see-through phone"

It would be correct, to say "The window is transparent". It would be odd to say "The window is see-through". Since windows are not normally opaque.

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