effuse

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French effuser, from Latin effusus, past participle of effundere (“to pour out”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (adjective) /ɪˈfjuːs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːs

• IPA^(key): (verb) /ɪˈfjuːz/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːz

Adjective

effuse (comparative more effuse, superlative most effuse)

1. Poured out freely; profuse.
   • a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number). The Nativity of our Lord tidings of great Joy”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830–1831, →OCLC:

     So should our joy be very effuse.

2. Disposed to pour out freely; prodigal.
   • 1742–1745, [Edward Young], The Complaint: Or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, & Immortality, London: […] [Samuel Richardson] for A[ndrew] Millar […], and R[obert] Dodsley […], published 1750, →OCLC:

     No wanton waste amid effuse expence

3. (botany) Spreading loosely, especially on one side.

   an effuse inflorescence

4. (zoology) Having the lips, or edges, of the aperture abruptly spreading, as in certain shells.

Verb

effuse (third-person singular simple present effuses, present participle effusing, simple past and past participle effused)

1. (transitive) To emit; to give off.
2. (figuratively) To gush; to be excitedly talkative and enthusiastic about something.
3. (intransitive) To pour out like a stream or freely; to cause to exude; to shed.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     With gushing blood effused.

4. (intransitive) To leak out through a small hole.

Translations

to emit

German: mitgeben (de), emittieren (de)

to talk excitedly

Hungarian: áradozik (hu), rajong (hu) Maori: pātere, ngongoro

Noun

effuse

1. (obsolete) effusion; loss
   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vi]:

     Much effuse of blood.

Derived terms

• effusely
• effuser
• uneffused