diffuse
verb/dɪˈfjuːz/
/dɪˈfjuːz/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they diffuse | /dɪˈfjuːz/ /dɪˈfjuːz/ |
| he / she / it diffuses | /dɪˈfjuːzɪz/ /dɪˈfjuːzɪz/ |
| past simple diffused | /dɪˈfjuːzd/ /dɪˈfjuːzd/ |
| past participle diffused | /dɪˈfjuːzd/ /dɪˈfjuːzd/ |
| -ing form diffusing | /dɪˈfjuːzɪŋ/ /dɪˈfjuːzɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] diffuse (something) (formal) to spread something or become spread widely in all directions
- The problem is how to diffuse power without creating anarchy.
- Technologies diffuse rapidly.
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- [intransitive, transitive] diffuse (something) (specialist) if a gas or liquid diffuses or is diffused in a substance, it becomes slowly mixed with that substance
- [transitive] diffuse something (formal) to make light shine less brightly by spreading it in many directions
- The moon was fuller than the night before, but the light was diffused by cloud.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin diffus- ‘poured out’, from the verb diffundere, from dis- ‘away’ + fundere ‘pour’; the adjective via French diffus or Latin diffusus ‘extensive’, from diffundere.
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