diffusion

[ dih-fyoo-zhuhn ]

noun

1. the act of diffusing or state of being diffused:

   During the gradual, unorchestrated diffusion of ideas from science into the surrounding culture, crucial information can sometimes be lost.

2. excessive wordiness of speech or writing; long-windedness.
3. Physics.
   1. Also called migration. an intermingling of molecules, ions, etc., resulting from random thermal agitation, as in the dispersion of a vapor in air.
   2. a reflection or refraction of light or other electromagnetic radiation from an irregular surface, or an erratic dispersion through a surface; scattering.
4. Movies. a soft-focus effect resulting from placing a gelatin or silk plate in front of a studio light or a camera lens, or through the use of diffusion filters.
5. Meteorology. the spreading of atmospheric constituents or properties by turbulent motion as well as molecular motion of the air.
6. Anthropology, Sociology. Also called cul·tur·al dif·fu·sion [kuhl, -cher-, uh, l di-, fyoo, -zh, uh, n]. the transmission of elements or features of one culture to another.

diffusion

/ dɪˈfjuːʒən /

noun

1. the act or process of diffusing or being diffused; dispersion
2. verbosity
3. physics
   1. the random thermal motion of atoms, molecules, clusters of atoms, etc, in gases, liquids, and some solids
   2. the transfer of atoms or molecules by their random motion from one part of a medium to another
4. physics the transmission or reflection of electromagnetic radiation, esp light, in which the radiation is scattered in many directions and not directly reflected or refracted; scattering
5. Also calleddiffusivity physics the degree to which the directions of propagation of reverberant sound waves differ from point to point in an enclosure
6. anthropol the transmission of social institutions, skills, and myths from one culture to another

diffusion

/ dĭ-fyo̅o̅′zhən /

1. The movement of atoms or molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. Atoms and small molecules can move across a cell membrane by diffusion.
2. Compare osmosis
3. The reflection or refraction of radiation such as light or sound by an irregular surface, tending to scatter it in many directions.

diffusion

1. The spreading of atoms or molecules of one substance through those of another, especially into liquids or gas es.

Other Words From

• in·ter·dif·fu·sion noun
• non·dif·fu·sion noun
• o·ver·dif·fu·sion noun
• re·dif·fu·sion noun
• self-dif·fu·sion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of diffusion¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin diffūsiōn-, stem of diffūsiō “a spreading out”; equivalent to diffuse + -ion

Example Sentences

On one hand, the diffusion of bats across the landscape could slow the march of white-nose syndrome, which is primarily spread between bats when they groom or touch each other.

From Los Angeles Times

Google has argued that regulating the internet would favor “a narrow range of sources for the diffusion of knowledge, ... thereby undermining democratic discourse and media diversity.”

From Los Angeles Times

So Apple has built its own sort of diffusion models like DALL-E or the ones that are in Gemini.

From New York Times

They found that the elements could enter the eggshells via diffusion along the calcite boundaries and the organic matrix, and, at higher temperatures, that the rare earth built new minerals on the eggshell surface.

From Science Daily

This diffusion effect is known as Taylor-Aris dispersion, named for the two researchers who laid the foundations for understanding it back in the 1950s.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• dispersal
• dispersion
• dissemination
• dissipation