diffuser

English

Etymology

diffuse +‎ -er

Adjective

diffuser

1. comparative form of diffuse: more diffuse

Noun

diffuser (plural diffusers)

1. Any person or thing that diffuses.
2. A device designed to diffuse a scent efficiently.
   • 2009 February 28, Rita Zekas, “DecoRita visits West Elm”, in Toronto Star‎^[1]:

     They are in the under-$20 section, which includes a display of scented candles and diffusers.

3. (optics) Any device that or spreads out or scatters light, making the light appear softer.
   • 2008 January 24, “In a Town Known for Light, a House With Very Little”, in New York Times‎^[2]:

     Along the sofa every three and a half feet, fluorescent tubes glow through translucent plastic diffusers.

4. (automotive) A shaped section of a car's underbody which improves the car's aerodynamic properties.
5. (thermodynamics) A mechanical device that is designed to control the characteristics of a fluid at the entrance to a thermodynamic open system.
6. (sewage treatment) An aerating device consisting of a membrane with fine pores, through which air is blown to generate small bubbles.
7. (cooking) A cooking item that can be placed above a stove heating element or burner to separate the cooking utensil from the heat source.
8. A hairdryer attachment that diffuses the flow of air.

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French

Etymology

From diffus.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

diffuser

1. to diffuse
2. to broadcast

Conjugation

Conjugation of diffuser (see also Appendix:French verbs)

infinitive	simple	diffuser
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1	simple	diffusant /di.fy.zɑ̃/
	compound	ayant + past participle
past participle		diffusé /di.fy.ze/
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		je (j’)	tu	il, elle, on	nous	vous	ils, elles
(simple tenses)	present	diffuse /di.fyz/	diffuses /di.fyz/	diffuse /di.fyz/	diffusons /di.fy.zɔ̃/	diffusez /di.fy.ze/	diffusent /di.fyz/
	imperfect	diffusais /di.fy.zɛ/	diffusais /di.fy.zɛ/	diffusait /di.fy.zɛ/	diffusions /di.fy.zjɔ̃/	diffusiez /di.fy.zje/	diffusaient /di.fy.zɛ/
	past historic2	diffusai /di.fy.ze/	diffusas /di.fy.za/	diffusa /di.fy.za/	diffusâmes /di.fy.zam/	diffusâtes /di.fy.zat/	diffusèrent /di.fy.zɛʁ/
	future	diffuserai /di.fyz.ʁe/	diffuseras /di.fyz.ʁa/	diffusera /di.fyz.ʁa/	diffuserons /di.fyz.ʁɔ̃/	diffuserez /di.fyz.ʁe/	diffuseront /di.fyz.ʁɔ̃/
	conditional	diffuserais /di.fyz.ʁɛ/	diffuserais /di.fyz.ʁɛ/	diffuserait /di.fyz.ʁɛ/	diffuserions /di.fy.zə.ʁjɔ̃/	diffuseriez /di.fy.zə.ʁje/	diffuseraient /di.fyz.ʁɛ/
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
	past anterior2	past historic of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que je (j’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	diffuse /di.fyz/	diffuses /di.fyz/	diffuse /di.fyz/	diffusions /di.fy.zjɔ̃/	diffusiez /di.fy.zje/	diffusent /di.fyz/
	imperfect2	diffusasse /di.fy.zas/	diffusasses /di.fy.zas/	diffusât /di.fy.za/	diffusassions /di.fy.za.sjɔ̃/	diffusassiez /di.fy.za.sje/	diffusassent /di.fy.zas/
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect2	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	diffuse /di.fyz/	—	diffusons /di.fy.zɔ̃/	diffusez /di.fy.ze/	—
compound		—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way: past historic → present perfect past anterior → pluperfect imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Further reading

• “diffuser”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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German

Adjective

diffuser

1. comparative degree of diffus