suffuse

suffuse

English

WOTD – 18 October 2007

Etymology

From Latin suffundō.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /səˈfjuːz/

• Audio (US)

  (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

• diffuse

Derived terms

• suffusate
• suffusion
• suffusive

Related terms

• infuse

Translations

to spread through or over something, especially as a liquid, colour or light

German: überziehen (de), bedecken (de), durchfluten, erfüllen (de)

Portuguese: infundir (pt)

to spread through or over in the manner of a liquid

German: durchziehen (de), überziehen (de), bedecken (de)

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.

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Italian

Verb

suffuse

1. third-person singular past historic of suffondere

Noun

suffuse f

1. plural of suffondere

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Latin

Participle

suffūse

1. vocative masculine singular of suffūsus