diffusion

CEFRC1

/dɪˈfjuː.ʒən/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    The process of spreading through an area or substance.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    The intermingling of the molecules of a fluid due to random thermal agitation.

Examples

  • Diffusion is passive because it doesn't require an external source of energy.

  • gaseous diffusion

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
2

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The scattering of light by reflection from a rough surface, or by passage through a translucent medium.

  2. The act of diffusing or dispersing something, or the property of being diffused or dispersed; dispersion.

  3. The spread of cultural or linguistic practices, or social institutions, in one or more communities.

More examples

In context

  • Even the false-necked vase, though it reaches its widest diffusion at this epoch, is, as we have seen, a type found existing in much earlier strata.

  • The chief salesman of the A.I. boom, Sam Altman of OpenAI, said there was more resistance to “the diffusion, the absorption” of A.I. into the culture and economy than he expected.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The rapid blank of the virus across continents alarmed health officials.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

Borrowed from Latin diffūsiō, from diffundō; can be decomposed as diffuse + -ion.