diffuseadj.

Brit.

/dᵻˈfjuːs/, U.S.

/dᵻˈfjus/

Forms: late Middle English–1500s dyffuse, late Middle English–1600s defuse, late Middle English– diffuse, 1500s dyffus.

Origin: A borrowing from Latin. Etymon: Latin diffūsus.

Etymology: < classical Latin diffūsus extending over a wide area, spreading, covering a wide field, extensive, (of speech or writing) expansive, use as adjective of past participle of diffundere diffund v. Compare Middle French, French diffus (1314 in Old French in sense ‘widespread, scattered’, second half of the 15th cent. in sense ‘(of speech or writing) expansive, discursive’), Spanish difuso (late 13th cent. as †diffuso ), Portuguese difuso (15th cent. as †defuso ), Italian diffuso (beginning of the 14th cent. as †diffuxo in sense ‘widespread, scattered’, a1321 in sense ‘(of speech or writing) expansive, discursive’, frequently (from a1334) with negative connotations), and also Dutch diffuus (17th cent.), German diffus (19th cent.). Compare slightly earlier diffuse v., diffusion n.

†I. Senses relating to confusion or complexity.

1. Difficult to understand, explain, or answer; complex, obscure; confused, vague; doubtful, uncertain. Obsolete.The exact sense of quot. 1430 is unclear; it may illustrate sense 3.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > unintelligibility > depth, obscurity > [adjective]

higheOE

dighela1000

deepc1000

darkOE

starkOE

dusk?c1225

subtle1340

dimc1350

subtilea1393

covert1393

mystica1398

murka1400

cloudyc1400

hard?c1400

mistyc1400

unclearc1400

diffuse1430

abstractc1450

diffused?1456

exquisitec1460

obnubilous?a1475

obscure?a1475

covered1484

intricate?a1500

nice?a1500

perplexeda1500

difficilea1513

difficult1530

privy1532

smoky1533

secret1535

abstruse?1549

difficul1552

entangled1561

confounded1572

darksome1574

obnubilate1575

enigmatical1576

confuse1577

mysteriousa1586

Delphic1598

obfuscatea1600

enfumed1601

Delphicala1603

obstruse1604

abstracted1605

confused1611

questionable1611

inevident1614

recondite1619

cryptic1620

obfuscated1620

transcendent1624

Delphian1625

oraculous1625

enigmatic1628

recluse1629

abdite1635

undilucidated1635

clouded1641

benighted1647

oblite1650

researched1653

obnubilated1658

obscurative1664

tenebrose1677

hyperbyssal1691

condite1695

diffusive1709

profound1710

tenebricose1730

oracular1749

opaque1761

unenlightening1768

darkling1795

offuscating1798

unrecognizable1817

tough1820

abstrusive1848

obscurant1878

out-of-focus1891

unplumbable1895

inenubilable1903

non-transparent1939

the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > insecure knowledge, uncertainty > [adjective] > obscure, vague

cloudyc1400

indeterminatec1400

diffuse1430

diffused?1456

obscure?a1475

infinite1520

ambiguous1529

indistincta1530

nubilous1533

dark1557

undetermined1588

undefinite1589

undeterminate1603

indetermined1611

undefined1611

suspense1624

umbrageous1635

clouded1641

undeterminated1641

fuliginous1646

implicit1660

vague1690

diffusive1709

nubilose1730

foggy1737

unliquidated1780

hazy1781

indecisive1815

nebulous1817

penumbral1819

aoristic1846

scumbled1868

nubiform1873

out-of-focus1891

fuzzy1937

soft focus1938

1430 in H. Nicolas Proc. & Ordinances Privy Council (1835) IV. 26 Þees matiers of pees finale & of matrimonye & þe menes þerto be ryȝt [printed ryzt] greete and diffuse.

1448 in S. A. Moore Lett. & Papers J. Shillingford (1871) i. 62 (MED) The mater to be comyned and entreted at home..was harde and diffuse.

?a1475 Ludus Coventriae (1922) 82 (MED) Þis matere is dyffuse and obscure.

a1513 R. Fabyan New Cronycles Eng. & Fraunce (1516) I. cciii. f. cxiiii Whan he had longe whyle lyen at the siege of a Castel..and sawe it was defuse to wynne by strength.

a1529 J. Skelton Phyllyp Sparowe (?1545) sig. C.iii^v It is dyffuse to fynde The sentence of his mynde.

1594 R. Carew tr. J. Huarte Exam. Mens Wits xi. 159 Men..of..feeble memory..retaine a certaine diffuse notice of things.

1602 R. Carew Surv. Cornwall i. f. 74^v The hurling to the Countrey, is more diffuse and confuse, as bound to few of these orders.

1652 T. Shepard Treat. Liturgies iv. 74 It might make us afraid..to venture upon so diffuse and knotty a question, when we look upon our own insufficiency to such a task.

1817 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Oct. 43/2 The question is diffuse, and might lead to an endless controversy.

II. Senses relating to dispersion.

a. Spread throughout or over a large area, widespread; scattered; widely separated or dispersed.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > extension in space > spreading or diffusion > [adjective] > spread or diffused

diffusec1475

diffused?1570

spread1585

distended1595

squandered1647

disseminated1662

smeared out1931

c1475 Life St. Anne (Trin. Cambr.) (1928) l. 144 Floures of the heuynly bames, Of whos swetnes the verrey preelect Diffuse odours..Hath wellyd out.

1609 P. Holland tr. Ammianus Marcellinus Rom. Hist. xxvii. vii. 317 These diffuse companies of sundry nations spred so farre abroad, and raging so cruelly.

a1711 T. Ken Hymnotheo xi, in Wks. (1721) III. 319 Our Empire o're the Universe diffuse.

1759 S. Johnson in Universal Chron. 13 Jan. 1 The Pomp of wide Margin and diffuse Typography.

1831 D. Brewster Treat. Optics xiv. 119 Diffuse masses of nebulous light.

1872 T. H. Huxley Lessons Elem. Physiol. (ed. 6) viii. 188 They are not only diffuse, but they are subjective sensations.

1915 tr. H. Liefmann On Smoke & Soot Question f. 7, in Smoke Papers Chicago Assoc. Commerce 5 Flue gases..are able to cause a considerable and diffuse pollution [Ger. eine erhebliche und diffuse Luftverschlechterung] of the air.

1947 Proc. Royal Soc. B. 134 488 A diffuse blue pigment distributed throughout the outer third of its thickness.

2011 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 7 Apr. 54/2 Diffuse networks of groups can now collaborate and communicate.

b. Medicine. Of a pathological process: not restricted to a single organ or part of the body; widespread.

ΚΠ

1585 J. Banister Wecker's Compend. Chyrurg. i. ix. 72 This Tumor is of two sortes: one gathered & limited within a certaine place,..the other diffuse, & vnbounded.

1798 Analyt. Rev. 28 70 In order to prevent the diffuse, painful inflammation, a little mild caustic..was applied on the vesicle formed by the virus.

1834 J. Forbes et al. Cycl. Pract. Med. III. 344/1 At the onset of the disease [sc. phlegmasia dolens] we have also observed..a diffuse erythematous redness of the integuments along the inner part of the thigh and leg.

1874 D. B. St. J. Roosa Dis. Ear (ed. 2) 120 Diffuse inflammation of the external auditory canal.

1914 Med. Chron. May 86 Some of the records again suggest examples of diffuse osteoma or sarcoma.

1959 Brit. Jrnl. Plastic Surg. 12 110 The scalded areas showed diffuse œdema with hyperæmia.

2004 G. J. Treisman & A. F. Angelino Psychiatry AIDS 54 Delirium is the result of a diffuse brain dysfunction that occurs acutely or sub-acutely.

c. Esp. of knowledge or learning: extensive, comprehensive; diverse. rare before late 19th cent.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective] > extensive or on a large scale

largea1400

ample1437

farc1475

diffused?1570

spacious1589

extensive1605

wholesale1642

diffuse1644

extense1644

voluminousa1652

amplivagant1656

extentive1658

numerousa1661

extended1700

amplivagous1731

far-reaching1824

Homeric1841

large-scale1856

wholescale1910

wide-scale1925

big-scale1930

macroscopic1931

broadscale1958

1644 J. Milton Doctr. Divorce (ed. 2) To Parl. sig. A4 Men..of eminent spirit and breeding joyn'd with a diffuse and various knowledge of divine and human things.

1895 S. D. Thompson Comm. Law Private Corporations IV. 3921 A judge and law-writer whose learning was diffuse, but whose habits of thought were often loose and inaccurate.

1938 G. W. Allport Personality xx. 553 Consciousness..is graded; sometimes it stands out, as it were, against the diffuse background of personal life.

1958 J. Barth End of Road i. 8 An art that my diffuse education had schooled me in.

2009 L. S. Myrsiades Med. Culture Revolutionary Amer. ii. 55 Human memory was incapable of retaining the diffuse knowledge empiricism required.

d. Botany. Of a branched structure, esp. a panicle: loose; open.

ΚΠ

1751 J. Hill Gen. Nat. Hist. II. 180 The plant rises to six inches high; the stalks are angulated, slender, of a yellowish-green, and diffuse.

1836 J. C. Loudon Encycl. Plants (rev. ed.) 67 Panicle diffuse, Root creeping.

2000 A. F. Rhoads & T. A. Block Plants Pennsylvania 564 Perennial herb..; inflorescence a diffuse raceme of tiny white flowers.

e. Of light: spread evenly, resulting in a reduction in intensity; indirect; = diffused adj. 3b.

ΚΠ

1794 G. Adams Lect. Nat. & Exper. Philos. II. xiii. 89 When solid drops begin to be formed in the air, the stars seen through them are ill defined, surrounded with a diffuse light.

1826 Amer. Jrnl. Sci. 10 365 An instance is related in this Journal..in which these two gases [sc. chlorine and hydrogen] exploded, even in the diffuse light of a cloudy and snowy day.

1871 J. Tyndall Fragm. Sci. (1879) I. v. 131 Floating matter..invisible in diffuse daylight.

1929 J. E. Weaver & F. E. Clements Plant Ecol. xiv. 320 The leaves of intolerant trees can not make food in weak, diffuse light.

1992 N.Y. Times 8 Nov. v. 15/2 Haunting retablos, or altar screens, depict states of devotion and agonizing penitence in the diffuse lighting.

2014 C. Bovill Sustainability in Archit. & Urban Design 10 In Persia, the Garden Pavilion of Hasht Bihisht combines appropriate shade, diffuse daylight, cross ventilation, and cooling water with a perfumed garden surround.

f. Embryology. Designating a (type of) placenta in which the villi (villus n. 2) are widely scattered. [Probably after scientific Latin placenta diffusa (1846 (in German context) or earlier); compare French placenta diffus (1854 or earlier).]

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > biology > biological processes > procreation or reproduction > embryo or fetus > membranes, etc., of embryo or fetus > [adjective] > placenta

placentary1734

placental1785

diffuse1856

aplacental1859

zonary1881

1856 Dublin Hosp. Gaz. 3 300/1 The placenta, as regards the forms which it assumes in the animal kingdom, may be described as the diffuse, the tufted, the zonular, and the discoid.

1888 G. Rolleston & W. H. Jackson Forms Animal Life (ed. 2) 367 The non-deciduate placenta is either diffuse, when the villi are scattered..or cotyledonary, when they are aggregated into patches.

1913 J. W. Jenkinson Vertebr. Embryol. ix. 219 The Ungulate Placenta may be Diffuse, or Cotyledonary, or of an intermediate type.

1957 Ecol. Monogr. 27 177/1 The diffuse placenta, a bag with a rough raw outer surface where the chorionic sac broke away from the uterine wall, was 16 inches long.

1999 G. A. Feldhamer et al. Mammalogy ix. 158/2 Lemurs, non ruminating artiodactyls, pangolins, and perissodactyls have a placenta that is diffuse.

g. Phonetics. Of a speech sound: characterized acoustically by having a low concentration of energy spread across a wide region of the spectrum, rather than a high concentration of energy in the central part. Opposed to compact (compact adj.¹ 4c).Used in or with reference to the scheme proposed by Russian linguist Roman Jakobson (1896–1982).

ΚΠ

1952 R. Jakobson et al. Prelim. Speech Anal. 27 Compact phonemes..are opposed to diffuse phonemes in which one or more non-central formants or formant regions predominate.

1962 R. Jakobson Sel. Writings 638 Compact consonants are articulated in the velopalatal area of the mouth cavity, and diffuse consonants—dentals and labials—in front of this area.

1980 A. Cohen in D. J. van Alkemade et al. Ling. Stud. offered to B. Siertsema iii. 258 [In this system] spectrographic registrations formed the basis for such acoustic notions as ‘grave’ and ‘acute’, ‘compact’ and ‘diffuse’.

2014 J. R. Hurford Origins Lang. v. 76 ‘High front’ vowels articulated with the body of the tongue in a high front position, like [i], are acoustically diffuse; articularly lowback vowels like [ɑ] are acoustically compact.

3. Of speech, writing, or literary style: expressed in or containing many words; expansive, discursive; (in negative sense) long-winded, verbose. Also of a person: that speaks or writes expansively or verbosely.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adjective] > verbose

wordyOE

of many wordsc1350

windya1382

diffused?a1475

word-dearthing1593

verbosious1601

worded1602

wordish1604

diffuse1612

wording1615

diffusive1624

verbose1665

baggy1866

talky1937

waffling1945

1612 E. Coffin in R. Parsons Discuss. Answere William Barlow Pref. sig. o2 In flattering his Maiesty he is more diffuse, taking all occasions to blaze out his praise, and sometymes forcing occasions where none are offered.

1676 tr. B. Lamy Art of Speaking iv. iii. ii. sig. Cc5 Orations commonly are to clear up some obscure and controverted truth; and therefore they require a diffuse Style.

1742 T. Gray Let. 23 Apr. in Corr. (1971) I. 196 The English tongue..is too diffuse, & daily grows more & more enervate.

1783 P. Pott Chirurg. Wks. (new ed.) II. 194 Some parts of them will appear prolix and diffuse.

1816 J. Austen Emma I. vii. 104 Too strong and concise; not diffuse enough for a woman.

1842 H. Rogers Introd. Burke's Wks. 47 His style is always full..and in many places even diffuse.

1868 J. Bruce in K. Digby Jrnl. Voy. Mediterranean Pref. p. xxii Digby, who as a writer is always diffuse, dwells upon the wonder.

1949 E. Waugh Let. 29 Aug. (1980) 308 In the non-narrative passages, do you not think you tend to be diffuse, saying the same thing more than once.

1993 C. W. Martin Nihilism T. Bernhard (1995) ii. 62 The short text provides a more concise treatment of the theme of dissolution than the fairly diffuse novel.

Compounds

diffuse-porous adj. Forestry designating wood and trees, esp. tropical hardwood species, in which pores of similar size are scattered fairly evenly across the early wood and latewood when viewed in transverse section.Contrasted with ring-porous.

ΚΠ

1895 F. Roth Timber 64 Diffuse-porous woods... Pores scattered through annual ring, no zone of collected pores in spring wood.

1928 Forestry 2 65 Under sub-alpine conditions woods which are normally diffuse-porous tend to become ring-porous.

2003 S. Rivers & N. Umney Conservation of Furnit. ii. 88/1 Diffuse porous hardwoods with well-distributed rays, such as birch, are more likely to yield tight veneers.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

diffusev.

Brit.

/dᵻˈfjuːz/, U.S.

/dᵻˈfjuz/

Forms: late Middle English dyffuse, late Middle English– diffuse, 1500s–1600s defuse.

Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Partly formed within English, by conversion. Etymons: Latin diffūs- , diffundere ; diffuse adj.

Etymology: Partly < classical Latin diffūs-, past participial stem of diffundere diffund v., and partly (in sense 6) < diffuse adj. Compare Middle French, French diffuser (beginning of the 15th cent.). Compare diffund v.With the use in sense 5 compare earlier diffused adj. 5.

I. To send forth, disperse, and related senses.

a. transitive. To send forth (an immaterial or abstract thing) in many or all directions; to spread among a large number of people; to disseminate.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > extension in space > spreading or diffusion > [verb (transitive)] > specific something immaterial

sowc888

forspreada1300

breathea1425

diffusea1425

transfusec1425

sparkle?1533

seminate1535

enlarge1553

propagate1554

disperse1576

proseminate1619

disseminate1643

infusea1672

overpass1679

to set abroad1688

vulgate1851

a1425 (a1400) Northern Pauline Epist. (1916) Rom. v. 5 (MED) Þe charitee of god is diffusid [L. diffusa] in oure hertis bi þe holy gost.

1482 W. Caxton in tr. Higden's Prolicionycion Prohemye sig. a3 The vertu of historye dyffused & spredd by the vnyuersal worlde hath tyme..as conseruatryce and kepar of her werke.

1588 J. Penry Exhort. Wales (new ed.) 41 Hauing heere and there diffused my reasons..which I perceiue are not so easily to be gathered.

1662 T. Stanley Hist. Chaldaick Philos. i. 1 But the Philosophy of the Chaldæans exceeded the Bounds of their Country, and diffused it self into Persia.

1689 T. Shadwell Bury-Fair ii. 20 His Fame is diffus'd throughout the Town.

1733 M. Masters Poems Several Occasions 162 One Night, unbounded, did the Tyrant reign. Spreading Disorder and diffusing Pain.

1784 W. Coxe Trav. Poland, Russia, Sweden, & Denmark II. v. vi. 385 It is impossible, even for a monarch..to diffuse a love for the works of art among a people.

1839 G. P. R. James Louis XIV III. 114 A general rumour began to diffuse itself through the court.

1852 D. Masson Ess. (1856) i. 32 A heartless man does not diffuse geniality and kindness around him, as Goethe did.

1934 W. D. Weatherford & C. S. Johnson Race Relations xxiii. 457 Education has diffused knowledge and skills.

1981 R. G. Myers Connecting Worlds 53 One cannot rely on the printed word as a main vehicle for diffusing research results, even among researchers.

2004 Times Lit. Suppl. 3 Dec. 12/4 This takeover allowed the Church of England to avoid the embarrassment of defending American-style biblical literalism while still being able to diffuse a vague set of moral values.

b. transitive. To send forth (a material thing or physical phenomenon, as light, sound, etc.) in many or all directions from a particular point of origin; to spread widely over a surface, or through a place or area; to disperse, scatter. Hence also: to cause (light) to spread evenly, resulting in a reduction in intensity.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > extension in space > spreading or diffusion > [verb (transitive)]

to-spreada1000

spread?c1225

sowc1350

to-scattera1382

diffund?a1425

dilate1430

disparklec1449

diffuse?a1475

provulgate1535

disperse1576

distract1600

disseminate1603

protracta1658

unroll1813

?a1475 (?a1425) tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl. 2261) (1865) I. 57 The see callede Pontus, diffusede [L. diffusus] from þens towarde the northe, makethe the see callede Propontides.

1574 T. Newton tr. G. Gratarolo Direct. Health Magistrates & Studentes sig. H Auicen permitteth large and great drincking, to washe and mundefie the stomacke and to make the meat the better to pearce and be diffused into the veines.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. ii. sig. N8^v The..veneme..Their blood..infected hath, Being diffused through the senceless tronck.

1654 T. Warren Vnbeleevers 95 The Head diffuseth nerves to the several members.

1669 T. Gale Court of Gentiles: Pt. I i. v. 27 The Phenicians..began to diffuse themselves throughout the whole of the Midland Sea.

1715 A. Pope Temple of Fame 28 From Pole to Pole the Winds diffuse the Sound.

1752 S. Johnson Rambler No. 190. ⁋6 Diffuse thy riches among thy friends.

1829 Chapters Physical Sci. 317 The inexhaustible variety of shades which nature, as in sport, has diffused over the surface of different bodies.

1890 Cent. Dict. Powder-gun, an instrument for diffusing insect-powder.

a1911 D. G. Phillips Susan Lenox (1917) I. viii. 124 The coffee came—a suspicious-looking liquid diffusing an odor of staleness.

1970 L. Deighton Bomber (1972) xxxiv. 460 The moonlight..was diffused by the thin cloud and dusted the bedroom with just a trace of blue gloom.

2012 Herald-Times (Bloomington, Indiana) 24 Mar. d2/2 Light bounces down the shaft and is diffused by a lens set into the ceiling like a lighting fixture.

c. intransitive. Of a material or immaterial thing: to spread widely over an area; to be disseminated; to disperse.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > extension in space > spreading or diffusion > [verb (intransitive)]

bredeOE

bespreadc1275

skaila1300

springc1390

shaila1400

spread1560

disperse1605

diffuse1655

1655 J. Lightfoot Harmony New-Test. ii. 141 From whence it might best diffuse in time to the whole circumference of their dispersion.

1700 S. Parker 6 Philos. Ess. 51 It [sc. the Chimist's Fire] does not merely sustain it self, but propagates too, and diffuses upon the ruins of its neighbours.

1785 R. Graves Eugenius II. xxxi. 192 In several other parts..the same benevolent spirit and moral improvement are diffusing.

1814 R. Southey Roderick xxi. 275 The silver cloud diffusing slowly past.

1859 Hunt's Yachting Mag. Jan. 10 People diffuse, and pass to their separate pleasure as they did in the morning to their various avocations.

1969 D. J. Mulvaney Prehist. Austral. 98 Although the technological expertise had not diffused, the idea had done so.

2008 K. T. Evered in G. H. Herb & D. H. Kaplan Nations & Nationalism II. 773 Turkic peoples diffused in successive waves outward to Europe, the Middle East, east Asia, and even to the Americas.

2. transitive. To shower (a material or immaterial thing) over a person or thing; to release in, or as though in, a shower of drops; to pour down. Frequently with on, over, upon.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > liquid > liquid which has been emitted > action or process of emitting copiously > emit copiously [verb (transitive)]

outyeta1400

effundc1420

shed1430

diffude?a1475

skail1513

effuse1526

diffuse1541

flow1550

outwell1590

spend1602

pour1604

exfuse1612

effude1634

profund1657

efflux1669

profuse1771

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > going or coming out > letting or sending out > let or send out [verb (transitive)] > emit > copiously > in or as in a stream

runeOE

ayetOE

yetOE

hieldc1200

pourc1330

bleed1377

spouta1398

wella1398

outyeta1400

wellc1400

effundc1420

streama1425

shed1430

diffude?a1475

skail1513

peera1522

effuse1526

diffuse1541

flow1550

gusha1555

outpoura1560

brew1581

outwell1590

spend1602

spin1610

exfuse1612

guttera1618

effude1634

disembogue1641

profund1657

efflux1669

decant1742

profuse1771

sluice1859

1541 R. Whitford Dyuers Holy Instrucyons & Teachynges xv. f. 27 The godly, and gostly loue, is not so ingendred ne brede in man, but rather is diffused, shed and powred downe vpon vs.

1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Diffondere, to defuse, to shed.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iv. i. 79 Who, with thy saffron wings, vpon my flowres Diffusest hony drops, refreshing showres.

1634 W. Tirwhyt tr. J. L. G. de Balzac Lett. 400 A place whereon Heaven defuseth all its Graces.

1734 tr. C. Rollin Anc. Hist. I. Pref. p. vii The little so discovered, diffuses great light over the history of those nations.

1824 J. H. Wiffen tr. T. Tasso Jerusalem Delivered I. iii. 104 Warm tears devout their eyes in showers diffuse.

1841 F. Hemans Songs of Affections & Other Poems 207 He..bade the summer clouds diffuse Their balmy store of genial dews.

1913 ‘H. J. Mozans’ Woman in Sci. v. 211 Destined to shed as much luster on her sex in the British Isles as the incomparable Laura Bassi had diffused on womankind in Italy.

2004 R. Lightbown Carlo Crivelli xliii. 496/2 To shed on the Virgin the singular grace that..makes her the means of diffusing grace on man.

3. transitive. To focus on or direct towards many points or purposes; esp. to weaken (the mental faculties) by a lack of focus or concentration; = dissipate v. 6.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > inattention > mental wandering > lack of concentration, distraction > distract [verb (transitive)]

fortogglea1300

to call away1529

scatter1530

forhale1579

to draw away1586

diffuse?1587

to call off1606

divert1609

to put out1616

avoke1623

disjoint1628

to take a person out of himself (herself, etc.)1631

to draw off1646

divertise1648

to take off1670

dissipate1684

to turn off1741

to throw out1821

to turn away1848

?1587 R. Southwell Epist. Comfort ii. f. 21^v Our wittes, which would..with our profitt haue byn diffused, beinge kepte in compasse by troubles, may be fitter to worke.

1605 Bp. J. Hall Medit. & Vowes I. §79 The one gathers the powers of the soule together..the other diffuses them.

1752 S. Johnson Rambler No. 190. ⁋9 Determined to avoid a close union..and to diffuse himself in a larger circle.

1886 J. Ruskin Præterita II. viii. 274 If only..he had kept to Gothic foils and their glass, my belief is that Edmund Oldfield could have done for England great part of what Viollet le Duc did for France... But..he diffused himself in serene scholarship.

1939 B. Blanshard Nature of Thought I. v. 211 Attention is confined to a narrow focus, and if diffused, is merely dissipated.

1985 M. Meyer Strindberg vi. 84 He was to diffuse his genius, not merely between plays and novels, but over numerous fields.

2003 W. Byrne Poetic Wheel of Life 44 The way he diffuses his talents..is a pity. It seems he can't focus attention.

4. Chiefly Physics and Chemistry.

a. transitive. To cause (two or more substances, esp. fluids) to intermingle by diffusion; to disperse (a substance) by diffusion. See diffusion n. 5.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > chemistry > chemical admixture or isolation > fix in combination [verb (transitive)] > cause spontaneous mixing or interpenetration

diffuse1801

1801 Jrnl. Nat. Philos. Oct. 242 The two fluids, whatever their specific gravities may be, will immediately or in a short time, be intimately diffused through each other.

1808 J. Dalton New Syst. Chem. Philos. I. i. 150 Gases always intermingle and diffuse themselves amongst each other, if exposed ever so carefully.

1808 J. Dalton New Syst. Chem. Philos. I. i. 191 When two equal measures of different gases are thus diffused.

1833 T. Graham in London & Edinb. Philos. Mag. 2 179 The ascent of the water in the tube, when hydrogen is diffused, forms a striking experiment.

1850 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 140 5 The phial was filled up with the solution to be diffused.

1996 M. P. Groover Fund. Mod. Manufacturing viii. 156 Two additional surface hardening treatments diffuse chromium and boron, respectively, into the steel.

b. intransitive. Of a substance, esp. a fluid: to intermingle with or interpenetrate another substance by diffusion; to pass by diffusion.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > liquid > liquid flow > action or process of flowing > flow [verb (intransitive)] > together or intermingle

diffuse1833

1833 T. Graham in London & Edinb. Philos. Mag. 2 189 The air does not diffuse out against so strong a pressure.

1850 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 140 4 The carbonic acid found in the upper bottle, and which had diffused into it from the lower.

1854 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 144 178 Water appears to diffuse four times more rapidly than alcohol.

1869 E. A. Parkes Man. Pract. Hygiene (ed. 3) 127 Every gas diffuses at a certain rate.

1933 A. W. Barton Text Bk. Heat ix. 203 The rate at which a gas diffuses through a porous pot or into another gas will be determined by the average velocity of its molecules.

2009 W. G. Hopkins & N. P. A. Hüner Introd. Plant Physiol. (ed. 4) xxi. 365/1 Ethylene diffuses readily in both aqueous and lipid environments.

†5. transitive. To stretch out (oneself or one's limbs), esp. in a relaxed manner. Cf. diffused adj. 5. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > posture > action or fact of stretching body > stretch [verb (reflexive)]

rimec1400

strew1610

diffuse1806

1806 J. Beresford Miseries Human Life I. ii. 39 After having..diffused yourself on the sopha.

1820 W. Wordsworth Misc. Poems II. 195 That Eastern Sultan, amid flowers enwrought On silken tissue, might diffuse his limbs in languor.

1861 O. W. Holmes Elsie Venner xxii. 278 Mrs. Blanche Creamer..had diffused herself over three-quarters of a sofa.

1914 ‘M. Field’ Dedicated 92 Upon the sea-beach I diffuse my limbs.

†II. To make confused.

6. transitive. To make confused or unclear. Cf. diffuse adj. 1, diffused adj. 1. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > insecure knowledge, uncertainty > render obscure [verb (transitive)]

cloud1548

denigrate1583

befog1601

brangle1608

diffuse1608

bedim1816

obfusticate1834

fuzz1907

the mind > language > speech > manner of speaking > say in a particular manner [verb (transitive)] > mutter or mumble > render indistinct

smother1601

diffuse1608

1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear iv. 2 If but as well I other accents borrow, that can my speech defuse .

Derivatives

diˈffusing adj.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > extension in space > spreading or diffusion > [adjective] > spreading or diffusing

spreading1532

outspreading1603

diffusive1610

diffusing1655

diffusile1727

suffusive1872

farther-spreading1876

1655 W. Gouge & T. Gouge Learned Comm. Hebrewes (i. 9) i. 85 The Spirit is as Oyl, of a diffusing nature.

1887 Poor Nellie (1888) 286 She had told her, with diffusing circles of surprise.

1915 A. Ångström Study Radiation Atmosphere vii. 72 The strength of this light is dependent upon the diffusing power of the atmosphere.

1997 Photo Answers Mar. 31/2 (caption) I used a diffusing screen to cut down the light on the white marble.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	diffuse
释义	diffuseadj. Brit. /dᵻˈfjuːs/, U.S. /dᵻˈfjus/ Forms: late Middle English–1500s dyffuse, late Middle English–1600s defuse, late Middle English– diffuse, 1500s dyffus. Origin: A borrowing from Latin. Etymon: Latin diffūsus. Etymology: < classical Latin diffūsus extending over a wide area, spreading, covering a wide field, extensive, (of speech or writing) expansive, use as adjective of past participle of diffundere diffund v. Compare Middle French, French diffus (1314 in Old French in sense ‘widespread, scattered’, second half of the 15th cent. in sense ‘(of speech or writing) expansive, discursive’), Spanish difuso (late 13th cent. as †diffuso ), Portuguese difuso (15th cent. as †defuso ), Italian diffuso (beginning of the 14th cent. as †diffuxo in sense ‘widespread, scattered’, a1321 in sense ‘(of speech or writing) expansive, discursive’, frequently (from a1334) with negative connotations), and also Dutch diffuus (17th cent.), German diffus (19th cent.). Compare slightly earlier diffuse v., diffusion n. †I. Senses relating to confusion or complexity. 1. Difficult to understand, explain, or answer; complex, obscure; confused, vague; doubtful, uncertain. Obsolete.The exact sense of quot. 1430 is unclear; it may illustrate sense 3. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > unintelligibility > depth, obscurity > [adjective] higheOE dighela1000 deepc1000 darkOE starkOE dusk?c1225 subtle1340 dimc1350 subtilea1393 covert1393 mystica1398 murka1400 cloudyc1400 hard?c1400 mistyc1400 unclearc1400 diffuse1430 abstractc1450 diffused?1456 exquisitec1460 obnubilous?a1475 obscure?a1475 covered1484 intricate?a1500 nice?a1500 perplexeda1500 difficilea1513 difficult1530 privy1532 smoky1533 secret1535 abstruse?1549 difficul1552 entangled1561 confounded1572 darksome1574 obnubilate1575 enigmatical1576 confuse1577 mysteriousa1586 Delphic1598 obfuscatea1600 enfumed1601 Delphicala1603 obstruse1604 abstracted1605 confused1611 questionable1611 inevident1614 recondite1619 cryptic1620 obfuscated1620 transcendent1624 Delphian1625 oraculous1625 enigmatic1628 recluse1629 abdite1635 undilucidated1635 clouded1641 benighted1647 oblite1650 researched1653 obnubilated1658 obscurative1664 tenebrose1677 hyperbyssal1691 condite1695 diffusive1709 profound1710 tenebricose1730 oracular1749 opaque1761 unenlightening1768 darkling1795 offuscating1798 unrecognizable1817 tough1820 abstrusive1848 obscurant1878 out-of-focus1891 unplumbable1895 inenubilable1903 non-transparent1939 the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > insecure knowledge, uncertainty > [adjective] > obscure, vague cloudyc1400 indeterminatec1400 diffuse1430 diffused?1456 obscure?a1475 infinite1520 ambiguous1529 indistincta1530 nubilous1533 dark1557 undetermined1588 undefinite1589 undeterminate1603 indetermined1611 undefined1611 suspense1624 umbrageous1635 clouded1641 undeterminated1641 fuliginous1646 implicit1660 vague1690 diffusive1709 nubilose1730 foggy1737 unliquidated1780 hazy1781 indecisive1815 nebulous1817 penumbral1819 aoristic1846 scumbled1868 nubiform1873 out-of-focus1891 fuzzy1937 soft focus1938 1430 in H. Nicolas Proc. & Ordinances Privy Council (1835) IV. 26 Þees matiers of pees finale & of matrimonye & þe menes þerto be ryȝt [printed ryzt] greete and diffuse. 1448 in S. A. Moore Lett. & Papers J. Shillingford (1871) i. 62 (MED) The mater to be comyned and entreted at home..was harde and diffuse. ?a1475 Ludus Coventriae (1922) 82 (MED) Þis matere is dyffuse and obscure. a1513 R. Fabyan New Cronycles Eng. & Fraunce (1516) I. cciii. f. cxiiii Whan he had longe whyle lyen at the siege of a Castel..and sawe it was defuse to wynne by strength. a1529 J. Skelton Phyllyp Sparowe (?1545) sig. C.iii^v It is dyffuse to fynde The sentence of his mynde. 1594 R. Carew tr. J. Huarte Exam. Mens Wits xi. 159 Men..of..feeble memory..retaine a certaine diffuse notice of things. 1602 R. Carew Surv. Cornwall i. f. 74^v The hurling to the Countrey, is more diffuse and confuse, as bound to few of these orders. 1652 T. Shepard Treat. Liturgies iv. 74 It might make us afraid..to venture upon so diffuse and knotty a question, when we look upon our own insufficiency to such a task. 1817 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Oct. 43/2 The question is diffuse, and might lead to an endless controversy. II. Senses relating to dispersion. 2. a. Spread throughout or over a large area, widespread; scattered; widely separated or dispersed. ΘΚΠ the world > space > extension in space > spreading or diffusion > [adjective] > spread or diffused diffusec1475 diffused?1570 spread1585 distended1595 squandered1647 disseminated1662 smeared out1931 c1475 Life St. Anne (Trin. Cambr.) (1928) l. 144 Floures of the heuynly bames, Of whos swetnes the verrey preelect Diffuse odours..Hath wellyd out. 1609 P. Holland tr. Ammianus Marcellinus Rom. Hist. xxvii. vii. 317 These diffuse companies of sundry nations spred so farre abroad, and raging so cruelly. a1711 T. Ken Hymnotheo xi, in Wks. (1721) III. 319 Our Empire o're the Universe diffuse. 1759 S. Johnson in Universal Chron. 13 Jan. 1 The Pomp of wide Margin and diffuse Typography. 1831 D. Brewster Treat. Optics xiv. 119 Diffuse masses of nebulous light. 1872 T. H. Huxley Lessons Elem. Physiol. (ed. 6) viii. 188 They are not only diffuse, but they are subjective sensations. 1915 tr. H. Liefmann On Smoke & Soot Question f. 7, in Smoke Papers Chicago Assoc. Commerce 5 Flue gases..are able to cause a considerable and diffuse pollution [Ger. eine erhebliche und diffuse Luftverschlechterung] of the air. 1947 Proc. Royal Soc. B. 134 488 A diffuse blue pigment distributed throughout the outer third of its thickness. 2011 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 7 Apr. 54/2 Diffuse networks of groups can now collaborate and communicate. b. Medicine. Of a pathological process: not restricted to a single organ or part of the body; widespread. ΚΠ 1585 J. Banister Wecker's Compend. Chyrurg. i. ix. 72 This Tumor is of two sortes: one gathered & limited within a certaine place,..the other diffuse, & vnbounded. 1798 Analyt. Rev. 28 70 In order to prevent the diffuse, painful inflammation, a little mild caustic..was applied on the vesicle formed by the virus. 1834 J. Forbes et al. Cycl. Pract. Med. III. 344/1 At the onset of the disease [sc. phlegmasia dolens] we have also observed..a diffuse erythematous redness of the integuments along the inner part of the thigh and leg. 1874 D. B. St. J. Roosa Dis. Ear (ed. 2) 120 Diffuse inflammation of the external auditory canal. 1914 Med. Chron. May 86 Some of the records again suggest examples of diffuse osteoma or sarcoma. 1959 Brit. Jrnl. Plastic Surg. 12 110 The scalded areas showed diffuse œdema with hyperæmia. 2004 G. J. Treisman & A. F. Angelino Psychiatry AIDS 54 Delirium is the result of a diffuse brain dysfunction that occurs acutely or sub-acutely. c. Esp. of knowledge or learning: extensive, comprehensive; diverse. rare before late 19th cent. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective] > extensive or on a large scale largea1400 ample1437 farc1475 diffused?1570 spacious1589 extensive1605 wholesale1642 diffuse1644 extense1644 voluminousa1652 amplivagant1656 extentive1658 numerousa1661 extended1700 amplivagous1731 far-reaching1824 Homeric1841 large-scale1856 wholescale1910 wide-scale1925 big-scale1930 macroscopic1931 broadscale1958 1644 J. Milton Doctr. Divorce (ed. 2) To Parl. sig. A4 Men..of eminent spirit and breeding joyn'd with a diffuse and various knowledge of divine and human things. 1895 S. D. Thompson Comm. Law Private Corporations IV. 3921 A judge and law-writer whose learning was diffuse, but whose habits of thought were often loose and inaccurate. 1938 G. W. Allport Personality xx. 553 Consciousness..is graded; sometimes it stands out, as it were, against the diffuse background of personal life. 1958 J. Barth End of Road i. 8 An art that my diffuse education had schooled me in. 2009 L. S. Myrsiades Med. Culture Revolutionary Amer. ii. 55 Human memory was incapable of retaining the diffuse knowledge empiricism required. d. Botany. Of a branched structure, esp. a panicle: loose; open. ΚΠ 1751 J. Hill Gen. Nat. Hist. II. 180 The plant rises to six inches high; the stalks are angulated, slender, of a yellowish-green, and diffuse. 1836 J. C. Loudon Encycl. Plants (rev. ed.) 67 Panicle diffuse, Root creeping. 2000 A. F. Rhoads & T. A. Block Plants Pennsylvania 564 Perennial herb..; inflorescence a diffuse raceme of tiny white flowers. e. Of light: spread evenly, resulting in a reduction in intensity; indirect; = diffused adj. 3b. ΚΠ 1794 G. Adams Lect. Nat. & Exper. Philos. II. xiii. 89 When solid drops begin to be formed in the air, the stars seen through them are ill defined, surrounded with a diffuse light. 1826 Amer. Jrnl. Sci. 10 365 An instance is related in this Journal..in which these two gases [sc. chlorine and hydrogen] exploded, even in the diffuse light of a cloudy and snowy day. 1871 J. Tyndall Fragm. Sci. (1879) I. v. 131 Floating matter..invisible in diffuse daylight. 1929 J. E. Weaver & F. E. Clements Plant Ecol. xiv. 320 The leaves of intolerant trees can not make food in weak, diffuse light. 1992 N.Y. Times 8 Nov. v. 15/2 Haunting retablos, or altar screens, depict states of devotion and agonizing penitence in the diffuse lighting. 2014 C. Bovill Sustainability in Archit. & Urban Design 10 In Persia, the Garden Pavilion of Hasht Bihisht combines appropriate shade, diffuse daylight, cross ventilation, and cooling water with a perfumed garden surround. f. Embryology. Designating a (type of) placenta in which the villi (villus n. 2) are widely scattered. [Probably after scientific Latin placenta diffusa (1846 (in German context) or earlier); compare French placenta diffus (1854 or earlier).] ΘΚΠ the world > life > biology > biological processes > procreation or reproduction > embryo or fetus > membranes, etc., of embryo or fetus > [adjective] > placenta placentary1734 placental1785 diffuse1856 aplacental1859 zonary1881 1856 Dublin Hosp. Gaz. 3 300/1 The placenta, as regards the forms which it assumes in the animal kingdom, may be described as the diffuse, the tufted, the zonular, and the discoid. 1888 G. Rolleston & W. H. Jackson Forms Animal Life (ed. 2) 367 The non-deciduate placenta is either diffuse, when the villi are scattered..or cotyledonary, when they are aggregated into patches. 1913 J. W. Jenkinson Vertebr. Embryol. ix. 219 The Ungulate Placenta may be Diffuse, or Cotyledonary, or of an intermediate type. 1957 Ecol. Monogr. 27 177/1 The diffuse placenta, a bag with a rough raw outer surface where the chorionic sac broke away from the uterine wall, was 16 inches long. 1999 G. A. Feldhamer et al. Mammalogy ix. 158/2 Lemurs, non ruminating artiodactyls, pangolins, and perissodactyls have a placenta that is diffuse. g. Phonetics. Of a speech sound: characterized acoustically by having a low concentration of energy spread across a wide region of the spectrum, rather than a high concentration of energy in the central part. Opposed to compact (compact adj.¹ 4c).Used in or with reference to the scheme proposed by Russian linguist Roman Jakobson (1896–1982). ΚΠ 1952 R. Jakobson et al. Prelim. Speech Anal. 27 Compact phonemes..are opposed to diffuse phonemes in which one or more non-central formants or formant regions predominate. 1962 R. Jakobson Sel. Writings 638 Compact consonants are articulated in the velopalatal area of the mouth cavity, and diffuse consonants—dentals and labials—in front of this area. 1980 A. Cohen in D. J. van Alkemade et al. Ling. Stud. offered to B. Siertsema iii. 258 [In this system] spectrographic registrations formed the basis for such acoustic notions as ‘grave’ and ‘acute’, ‘compact’ and ‘diffuse’. 2014 J. R. Hurford Origins Lang. v. 76 ‘High front’ vowels articulated with the body of the tongue in a high front position, like [i], are acoustically diffuse; articularly lowback vowels like [ɑ] are acoustically compact. 3. Of speech, writing, or literary style: expressed in or containing many words; expansive, discursive; (in negative sense) long-winded, verbose. Also of a person: that speaks or writes expansively or verbosely. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adjective] > verbose wordyOE of many wordsc1350 windya1382 diffused?a1475 word-dearthing1593 verbosious1601 worded1602 wordish1604 diffuse1612 wording1615 diffusive1624 verbose1665 baggy1866 talky1937 waffling1945 1612 E. Coffin in R. Parsons Discuss. Answere William Barlow Pref. sig. o2 In flattering his Maiesty he is more diffuse, taking all occasions to blaze out his praise, and sometymes forcing occasions where none are offered. 1676 tr. B. Lamy Art of Speaking iv. iii. ii. sig. Cc5 Orations commonly are to clear up some obscure and controverted truth; and therefore they require a diffuse Style. 1742 T. Gray Let. 23 Apr. in Corr. (1971) I. 196 The English tongue..is too diffuse, & daily grows more & more enervate. 1783 P. Pott Chirurg. Wks. (new ed.) II. 194 Some parts of them will appear prolix and diffuse. 1816 J. Austen Emma I. vii. 104 Too strong and concise; not diffuse enough for a woman. View more context for this quotation 1842 H. Rogers Introd. Burke's Wks. 47 His style is always full..and in many places even diffuse. 1868 J. Bruce in K. Digby Jrnl. Voy. Mediterranean Pref. p. xxii Digby, who as a writer is always diffuse, dwells upon the wonder. 1949 E. Waugh Let. 29 Aug. (1980) 308 In the non-narrative passages, do you not think you tend to be diffuse, saying the same thing more than once. 1993 C. W. Martin Nihilism T. Bernhard (1995) ii. 62 The short text provides a more concise treatment of the theme of dissolution than the fairly diffuse novel. Compounds diffuse-porous adj. Forestry designating wood and trees, esp. tropical hardwood species, in which pores of similar size are scattered fairly evenly across the early wood and latewood when viewed in transverse section.Contrasted with ring-porous. ΚΠ 1895 F. Roth Timber 64 Diffuse-porous woods... Pores scattered through annual ring, no zone of collected pores in spring wood. 1928 Forestry 2 65 Under sub-alpine conditions woods which are normally diffuse-porous tend to become ring-porous. 2003 S. Rivers & N. Umney Conservation of Furnit. ii. 88/1 Diffuse porous hardwoods with well-distributed rays, such as birch, are more likely to yield tight veneers. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online June 2022). diffusev. Brit. /dᵻˈfjuːz/, U.S. /dᵻˈfjuz/ Forms: late Middle English dyffuse, late Middle English– diffuse, 1500s–1600s defuse. Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Partly formed within English, by conversion. Etymons: Latin diffūs- , diffundere ; diffuse adj. Etymology: Partly < classical Latin diffūs-, past participial stem of diffundere diffund v., and partly (in sense 6) < diffuse adj. Compare Middle French, French diffuser (beginning of the 15th cent.). Compare diffund v.With the use in sense 5 compare earlier diffused adj. 5. I. To send forth, disperse, and related senses. 1. a. transitive. To send forth (an immaterial or abstract thing) in many or all directions; to spread among a large number of people; to disseminate. ΘΚΠ the world > space > extension in space > spreading or diffusion > [verb (transitive)] > specific something immaterial sowc888 forspreada1300 breathea1425 diffusea1425 transfusec1425 sparkle?1533 seminate1535 enlarge1553 propagate1554 disperse1576 proseminate1619 disseminate1643 infusea1672 overpass1679 to set abroad1688 vulgate1851 a1425 (a1400) Northern Pauline Epist. (1916) Rom. v. 5 (MED) Þe charitee of god is diffusid [L. diffusa] in oure hertis bi þe holy gost. 1482 W. Caxton in tr. Higden's Prolicionycion Prohemye sig. a3 The vertu of historye dyffused & spredd by the vnyuersal worlde hath tyme..as conseruatryce and kepar of her werke. 1588 J. Penry Exhort. Wales (new ed.) 41 Hauing heere and there diffused my reasons..which I perceiue are not so easily to be gathered. 1662 T. Stanley Hist. Chaldaick Philos. i. 1 But the Philosophy of the Chaldæans exceeded the Bounds of their Country, and diffused it self into Persia. 1689 T. Shadwell Bury-Fair ii. 20 His Fame is diffus'd throughout the Town. 1733 M. Masters Poems Several Occasions 162 One Night, unbounded, did the Tyrant reign. Spreading Disorder and diffusing Pain. 1784 W. Coxe Trav. Poland, Russia, Sweden, & Denmark II. v. vi. 385 It is impossible, even for a monarch..to diffuse a love for the works of art among a people. 1839 G. P. R. James Louis XIV III. 114 A general rumour began to diffuse itself through the court. 1852 D. Masson Ess. (1856) i. 32 A heartless man does not diffuse geniality and kindness around him, as Goethe did. 1934 W. D. Weatherford & C. S. Johnson Race Relations xxiii. 457 Education has diffused knowledge and skills. 1981 R. G. Myers Connecting Worlds 53 One cannot rely on the printed word as a main vehicle for diffusing research results, even among researchers. 2004 Times Lit. Suppl. 3 Dec. 12/4 This takeover allowed the Church of England to avoid the embarrassment of defending American-style biblical literalism while still being able to diffuse a vague set of moral values. b. transitive. To send forth (a material thing or physical phenomenon, as light, sound, etc.) in many or all directions from a particular point of origin; to spread widely over a surface, or through a place or area; to disperse, scatter. Hence also: to cause (light) to spread evenly, resulting in a reduction in intensity. ΘΚΠ the world > space > extension in space > spreading or diffusion > [verb (transitive)] to-spreada1000 spread?c1225 sowc1350 to-scattera1382 diffund?a1425 dilate1430 disparklec1449 diffuse?a1475 provulgate1535 disperse1576 distract1600 disseminate1603 protracta1658 unroll1813 ?a1475 (?a1425) tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl. 2261) (1865) I. 57 The see callede Pontus, diffusede [L. diffusus] from þens towarde the northe, makethe the see callede Propontides. 1574 T. Newton tr. G. Gratarolo Direct. Health Magistrates & Studentes sig. H Auicen permitteth large and great drincking, to washe and mundefie the stomacke and to make the meat the better to pearce and be diffused into the veines. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. ii. sig. N8^v The..veneme..Their blood..infected hath, Being diffused through the senceless tronck. 1654 T. Warren Vnbeleevers 95 The Head diffuseth nerves to the several members. 1669 T. Gale Court of Gentiles: Pt. I i. v. 27 The Phenicians..began to diffuse themselves throughout the whole of the Midland Sea. 1715 A. Pope Temple of Fame 28 From Pole to Pole the Winds diffuse the Sound. 1752 S. Johnson Rambler No. 190. ⁋6 Diffuse thy riches among thy friends. 1829 Chapters Physical Sci. 317 The inexhaustible variety of shades which nature, as in sport, has diffused over the surface of different bodies. 1890 Cent. Dict. Powder-gun, an instrument for diffusing insect-powder. a1911 D. G. Phillips Susan Lenox (1917) I. viii. 124 The coffee came—a suspicious-looking liquid diffusing an odor of staleness. 1970 L. Deighton Bomber (1972) xxxiv. 460 The moonlight..was diffused by the thin cloud and dusted the bedroom with just a trace of blue gloom. 2012 Herald-Times (Bloomington, Indiana) 24 Mar. d2/2 Light bounces down the shaft and is diffused by a lens set into the ceiling like a lighting fixture. c. intransitive. Of a material or immaterial thing: to spread widely over an area; to be disseminated; to disperse. ΘΚΠ the world > space > extension in space > spreading or diffusion > [verb (intransitive)] bredeOE bespreadc1275 skaila1300 springc1390 shaila1400 spread1560 disperse1605 diffuse1655 1655 J. Lightfoot Harmony New-Test. ii. 141 From whence it might best diffuse in time to the whole circumference of their dispersion. 1700 S. Parker 6 Philos. Ess. 51 It [sc. the Chimist's Fire] does not merely sustain it self, but propagates too, and diffuses upon the ruins of its neighbours. 1785 R. Graves Eugenius II. xxxi. 192 In several other parts..the same benevolent spirit and moral improvement are diffusing. 1814 R. Southey Roderick xxi. 275 The silver cloud diffusing slowly past. 1859 Hunt's Yachting Mag. Jan. 10 People diffuse, and pass to their separate pleasure as they did in the morning to their various avocations. 1969 D. J. Mulvaney Prehist. Austral. 98 Although the technological expertise had not diffused, the idea had done so. 2008 K. T. Evered in G. H. Herb & D. H. Kaplan Nations & Nationalism II. 773 Turkic peoples diffused in successive waves outward to Europe, the Middle East, east Asia, and even to the Americas. 2. transitive. To shower (a material or immaterial thing) over a person or thing; to release in, or as though in, a shower of drops; to pour down. Frequently with on, over, upon. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > liquid > liquid which has been emitted > action or process of emitting copiously > emit copiously [verb (transitive)] outyeta1400 effundc1420 shed1430 diffude?a1475 skail1513 effuse1526 diffuse1541 flow1550 outwell1590 spend1602 pour1604 exfuse1612 effude1634 profund1657 efflux1669 profuse1771 the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > going or coming out > letting or sending out > let or send out [verb (transitive)] > emit > copiously > in or as in a stream runeOE ayetOE yetOE hieldc1200 pourc1330 bleed1377 spouta1398 wella1398 outyeta1400 wellc1400 effundc1420 streama1425 shed1430 diffude?a1475 skail1513 peera1522 effuse1526 diffuse1541 flow1550 gusha1555 outpoura1560 brew1581 outwell1590 spend1602 spin1610 exfuse1612 guttera1618 effude1634 disembogue1641 profund1657 efflux1669 decant1742 profuse1771 sluice1859 1541 R. Whitford Dyuers Holy Instrucyons & Teachynges xv. f. 27 The godly, and gostly loue, is not so ingendred ne brede in man, but rather is diffused, shed and powred downe vpon vs. 1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Diffondere, to defuse, to shed. a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iv. i. 79 Who, with thy saffron wings, vpon my flowres Diffusest hony drops, refreshing showres. View more context for this quotation 1634 W. Tirwhyt tr. J. L. G. de Balzac Lett. 400 A place whereon Heaven defuseth all its Graces. 1734 tr. C. Rollin Anc. Hist. I. Pref. p. vii The little so discovered, diffuses great light over the history of those nations. 1824 J. H. Wiffen tr. T. Tasso Jerusalem Delivered I. iii. 104 Warm tears devout their eyes in showers diffuse. 1841 F. Hemans Songs of Affections & Other Poems 207 He..bade the summer clouds diffuse Their balmy store of genial dews. 1913 ‘H. J. Mozans’ Woman in Sci. v. 211 Destined to shed as much luster on her sex in the British Isles as the incomparable Laura Bassi had diffused on womankind in Italy. 2004 R. Lightbown Carlo Crivelli xliii. 496/2 To shed on the Virgin the singular grace that..makes her the means of diffusing grace on man. 3. transitive. To focus on or direct towards many points or purposes; esp. to weaken (the mental faculties) by a lack of focus or concentration; = dissipate v. 6. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > inattention > mental wandering > lack of concentration, distraction > distract [verb (transitive)] fortogglea1300 to call away1529 scatter1530 forhale1579 to draw away1586 diffuse?1587 to call off1606 divert1609 to put out1616 avoke1623 disjoint1628 to take a person out of himself (herself, etc.)1631 to draw off1646 divertise1648 to take off1670 dissipate1684 to turn off1741 to throw out1821 to turn away1848 ?1587 R. Southwell Epist. Comfort ii. f. 21^v Our wittes, which would..with our profitt haue byn diffused, beinge kepte in compasse by troubles, may be fitter to worke. 1605 Bp. J. Hall Medit. & Vowes I. §79 The one gathers the powers of the soule together..the other diffuses them. 1752 S. Johnson Rambler No. 190. ⁋9 Determined to avoid a close union..and to diffuse himself in a larger circle. 1886 J. Ruskin Præterita II. viii. 274 If only..he had kept to Gothic foils and their glass, my belief is that Edmund Oldfield could have done for England great part of what Viollet le Duc did for France... But..he diffused himself in serene scholarship. 1939 B. Blanshard Nature of Thought I. v. 211 Attention is confined to a narrow focus, and if diffused, is merely dissipated. 1985 M. Meyer Strindberg vi. 84 He was to diffuse his genius, not merely between plays and novels, but over numerous fields. 2003 W. Byrne Poetic Wheel of Life 44 The way he diffuses his talents..is a pity. It seems he can't focus attention. 4. Chiefly Physics and Chemistry. a. transitive. To cause (two or more substances, esp. fluids) to intermingle by diffusion; to disperse (a substance) by diffusion. See diffusion n. 5. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > chemistry > chemical admixture or isolation > fix in combination [verb (transitive)] > cause spontaneous mixing or interpenetration diffuse1801 1801 Jrnl. Nat. Philos. Oct. 242 The two fluids, whatever their specific gravities may be, will immediately or in a short time, be intimately diffused through each other. 1808 J. Dalton New Syst. Chem. Philos. I. i. 150 Gases always intermingle and diffuse themselves amongst each other, if exposed ever so carefully. 1808 J. Dalton New Syst. Chem. Philos. I. i. 191 When two equal measures of different gases are thus diffused. 1833 T. Graham in London & Edinb. Philos. Mag. 2 179 The ascent of the water in the tube, when hydrogen is diffused, forms a striking experiment. 1850 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 140 5 The phial was filled up with the solution to be diffused. 1996 M. P. Groover Fund. Mod. Manufacturing viii. 156 Two additional surface hardening treatments diffuse chromium and boron, respectively, into the steel. b. intransitive. Of a substance, esp. a fluid: to intermingle with or interpenetrate another substance by diffusion; to pass by diffusion. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > liquid > liquid flow > action or process of flowing > flow [verb (intransitive)] > together or intermingle diffuse1833 1833 T. Graham in London & Edinb. Philos. Mag. 2 189 The air does not diffuse out against so strong a pressure. 1850 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 140 4 The carbonic acid found in the upper bottle, and which had diffused into it from the lower. 1854 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 144 178 Water appears to diffuse four times more rapidly than alcohol. 1869 E. A. Parkes Man. Pract. Hygiene (ed. 3) 127 Every gas diffuses at a certain rate. 1933 A. W. Barton Text Bk. Heat ix. 203 The rate at which a gas diffuses through a porous pot or into another gas will be determined by the average velocity of its molecules. 2009 W. G. Hopkins & N. P. A. Hüner Introd. Plant Physiol. (ed. 4) xxi. 365/1 Ethylene diffuses readily in both aqueous and lipid environments. †5. transitive. To stretch out (oneself or one's limbs), esp. in a relaxed manner. Cf. diffused adj. 5. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > posture > action or fact of stretching body > stretch [verb (reflexive)] rimec1400 strew1610 diffuse1806 1806 J. Beresford Miseries Human Life I. ii. 39 After having..diffused yourself on the sopha. 1820 W. Wordsworth Misc. Poems II. 195 That Eastern Sultan, amid flowers enwrought On silken tissue, might diffuse his limbs in languor. 1861 O. W. Holmes Elsie Venner xxii. 278 Mrs. Blanche Creamer..had diffused herself over three-quarters of a sofa. 1914 ‘M. Field’ Dedicated 92 Upon the sea-beach I diffuse my limbs. †II. To make confused. 6. transitive. To make confused or unclear. Cf. diffuse adj. 1, diffused adj. 1. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > insecure knowledge, uncertainty > render obscure [verb (transitive)] cloud1548 denigrate1583 befog1601 brangle1608 diffuse1608 bedim1816 obfusticate1834 fuzz1907 the mind > language > speech > manner of speaking > say in a particular manner [verb (transitive)] > mutter or mumble > render indistinct smother1601 diffuse1608 1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear iv. 2 If but as well I other accents borrow, that can my speech defuse . View more context for this quotation Derivatives diˈffusing adj. ΘΚΠ the world > space > extension in space > spreading or diffusion > [adjective] > spreading or diffusing spreading1532 outspreading1603 diffusive1610 diffusing1655 diffusile1727 suffusive1872 farther-spreading1876 1655 W. Gouge & T. Gouge Learned Comm. Hebrewes (i. 9) i. 85 The Spirit is as Oyl, of a diffusing nature. 1887 Poor Nellie (1888) 286 She had told her, with diffusing circles of surprise. 1915 A. Ångström Study Radiation Atmosphere vii. 72 The strength of this light is dependent upon the diffusing power of the atmosphere. 1997 Photo Answers Mar. 31/2 (caption) I used a diffusing screen to cut down the light on the white marble. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.1430v.a1425
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