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. Also called cultural diffusion. Anthropology, Sociology.,  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 called: diffusivity. 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

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 Word Forms

• interdiffusion noun
• nondiffusion noun
• overdiffusion noun
• rediffusion noun
• self-diffusion 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

Smithson would hardly recognize this as an “increase and diffusion of knowledge.”

Read more on Wall Street Journal

But recall that the Smithsonian’s mission was and is “the increase and diffusion of knowledge” — not advancing a particular understanding of America’s racial past or even to celebrate a myopic view our founding.

Read more on Salon

"The fundamental assumptions that led to the AI diffusion rule in the beginning, in the first place, have been proven to be fundamentally flawed," he told reporters.

Read more on BBC

But diffusion models underperform at directly generating realistic 3D shapes because there are not enough 3D data to train them.

Read more on Science Daily

One of the researchers' key insights was that generative AI models, such as diffusion models, could be used for ensemble climate projections.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• dispersal 
• dispersion 
• dissemination 
• dissipation