Syphon

Syphon is a variant spelling of siphon, a term used for a tube or conduit that enables the transfer of liquid from one container to another, typically by means of gravity and atmospheric pressure. The standard modern spelling in American English is siphon, while syphon appears in British English and in some historical or brand contexts. The word derives from the Greek siphōn, meaning tube or pipe.

In practical use, a siphon or syphon can move liquid from a higher to a lower level without an external pump. The tube is filled with liquid, one end is placed in the source liquid, and the other end is positioned lower than the source. Once primed, gravity and atmospheric pressure maintain the flow until the source is depleted or air enters the tube.

In computing and digital media, Syphon refers to a framework that enables real-time sharing of video frames between applications on macOS. Applications publish their rendered frames as textures, and other apps subscribe to receive them, allowing workflows that combine multiple tools without intermediate video encoding. This capability is widely used in multimedia production, live performance, and creative coding environments to enable seamless inter-application compositing and video processing.

Variations and related terms include the general concept of siphoning liquids and the variant spelling syphon used in specific dialects or historical texts. In technology, Syphon is also recognized as a name for the frame-sharing framework, distinct from other unrelated products or terms that may share similar spellings.