English Explanatory Dictionary

diffusion

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The act of diffusing or dispersing something, or the property of being diffused or dispersed; dispersion.
  2. The scattering of light by reflection from a rough surface, or by passage through a translucent medium.
  3. The intermingling of the molecules of a fluid due to random thermal agitation.
  4. The spread of cultural or linguistic practices, or social institutions, in one or more communities.
  5. The gradual spread and adoption of goods or services.
  6. Exchange of airborne media between regions in space in an apparently random motion of a small scale.
  7. The movement of water vapor from regions of high concentration (high water vapor pressure) toward regions of lower concentration.

Pronunciation

/dɪˈfjuː.ʒən/ /dɪˈfju.ʒən/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-diffusion.wav

Word forms

diffusion diffusions

Etymology

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

Related words

diffuseness diffusity diffuser

Derived words

autodiffusion biodiffusion cultural diffusion diffusional diffusion-barrier diffusion hypoxia diffusionism diffusionist diffusionless elastodiffusion electrodiffusion error diffusion hydrodiffusion hyperdiffusion immunodiffusion interdiffusion microdiffusion photodiffusion prediffusion pseudodiffusion rediffusion rotodiffusion self-diffusion subdiffusion superdiffusion thermodiffusion vibrodiffusion
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