diffuse
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: diffusé
English
Etymology 1
From Middle French diffuser, from Latin diffūsus, past participle of diffundere, from dis- + fundere.
Pronunciation
Verb
diffuse (third-person singular simple present diffuses, present participle diffusing, simple past and past participle diffused)
- (transitive) To spread (something) over or through as in air, water, or other matter, especially by fluid motion or passive means.
- The small window diffuses light throughout the room.
- Ideas are easily diffused with the help of technology.
- 1837, William Whewell, “Earliest Stages of Astronomy”, in History of the Inductive Sciences, from the Earliest to the Present Times. […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […]; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: J. and J. J. Deighton, →OCLC, book III (History of Greek Astronomy), section 3 (Correction of the Civil Year. (Julian Calendar.)), page 121:
- We do not know by whom the insufficiency of the year of 365 days was first discovered; we find this knowledge diffused among all civilized nations, and various artifices used in making the correction.
- (intransitive) To be spread over or through as in air, water, or other matter, especially by fluid motion or passive means.
- Food coloring diffuses in water.
- The riot diffused quite suddenly.
Usage notes
The words diffuse and defuse are frequently confused. To defuse a difficult situation would be to make it less potentially explosive (as if removing the fuse from a stick of dynamite); to diffuse it would be to spread it around.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
(transitive) to spread over or through
|
(intransitive) to be spread over or through
|
Etymology 2
From Middle English *diffuse (attested in adverb diffuseli), from Latin diffūsus.
Pronunciation
Adjective
diffuse (comparative more diffuse, superlative most diffuse)
- Everywhere or throughout everything; not focused or concentrated.
- Such a diffuse effort is unlikely to produce good results.
- Wordy; verbose.
Synonyms
- (not concentrated): spread out, thin; see also Thesaurus:diffuse
- (verbose): palaverous, prolix; see also Thesaurus:verbose
Derived terms
Translations
not focused or concentrated
|
Related terms
References
- “diffuse”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
Anagrams
French
Pronunciation
Verb
diffuse
- inflection of diffuser:
Adjective
diffuse
German
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Adjective
diffuse
- inflection of diffus:
Italian
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Verb
diffuse
- third-person singular past historic of diffondere
Etymology 2
Participle
diffuse f pl
Adjective
diffuse
Latin
Etymology
From diffūsus (“scattered, spread”).
Adverb
diffūsē (comparative diffūsius, superlative diffūsissimē)
Related terms
References
- “diffuse”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, 1st edition. (Oxford University Press)
Norwegian Bokmål
Adjective
diffuse
Norwegian Nynorsk
Adjective
diffuse
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.