suffuse

English

WOTD – 18 October 2007

Etymology

From Latin suffundō.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA(key): /səˈfjuːz/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -uːz

Verb

suffuse (third-person singular simple present suffuses, present participle suffusing, simple past and past participle suffused)

  1. (transitive) To spread through or over something, especially as a liquid, colour or light; to bathe.
    The entire room was suffused with a golden light.
  2. (transitive, figuratively) To spread through or over in the manner of a liquid.
    The warmth suffused his cold fingers.
  3. (transitive) To pour underneath.

Usage notes

  • The verb is often used in the passive voice.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

suffuse (comparative more suffuse, superlative most suffuse)

  1. Suffused; diffuse.
    • 1912, New York State Museum, Annual Report, page 243:
      This limonite-colored mud is most often very suffuse and only faintly apparent.
    • 2014, Rita Petrini, Through the Curtain of Time and Space (→ISBN):
      Most of us mortals choose a very suffuse, dim light to have in our room, others push the switch to the maximum.

Italian

Verb

suffuse

  1. third-person singular past historic of suffondere

Noun

suffuse f

  1. plural of suffondere

Latin

Participle

suffūse

  1. vocative masculine singular of suffūsus
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.