diffuse
See also: diffusé
English edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Middle French diffuser, from Latin diffūsus, past participle of diffundere, from dis- + fundere.
Pronunciation edit
- enPR: dĭfyo͞oz'
- (UK) IPA(key): /dɪˈfjuːz/
- (US) IPA(key): /dɪˈfjuz/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -uːz
- Homophone: defuse
Verb edit
diffuse (third-person singular simple present diffuses, present participle diffusing, simple past and past participle diffused)
- (transitive) To spread over or through as in air, water, or other matter, especially by fluid motion or passive means.
- 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 edit
The words diffuse and defuse are sometimes confused.
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
(transitive) to spread over or through
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(intransitive) to be spread over or through
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Etymology 2 edit
From Middle English *diffuse (attested in adverb diffuseli), from Latin diffūsus.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
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 edit
- (not concentrated): spread out, thin; see also Thesaurus:diffuse
- (verbose): palaverous, prolix; see also Thesaurus:verbose
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
not focused or concentrated
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Related terms edit
References edit
- “diffuse”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
Anagrams edit
French edit
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
diffuse
- inflection of diffuser:
Adjective edit
diffuse
German edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Adjective edit
diffuse
- inflection of diffus:
Italian edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
Verb edit
diffuse
- third-person singular past historic of diffondere
Etymology 2 edit
Participle edit
diffuse f pl
Adjective edit
diffuse
Latin edit
Etymology edit
From diffūsus (“scattered, spread”).
Adverb edit
diffūsē (comparative diffūsius, superlative diffūsissimē)
Related terms edit
References edit
- “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 edit
Adjective edit
diffuse
Norwegian Nynorsk edit
Adjective edit
diffuse