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diffusion Definition

dif·fu·sion (di fyo̵̅o̅′z̸hən)

noun

  1. a diffusing or being diffused; specif.,
    1. a dissemination, as of news
    2. a scattering of light rays, as by reflection; also, the dispersion and softening of light, as by passage through frosted glass
    3. an intermingling of the molecules of liquids, gases, etc.
  2. wordiness; diffuseness
  3. Anthrop. the spread of a cultural or technological practice or innovation from one region or people to another, as by trade or conquest

Etymology: ME diffusioun < L diffusio

diffusion Synonyms

diffusion

n.

dissemination, spread, dispersion; see dissipation 1, distribution 1.

diffusion Telecom Definition
The scattering or deviation in the path of an electromagnetic waveform as it strikes an obstacle in its path. In transmission systems, diffusion generally refers to the scattering of light as it strikes an impurity or interacts with molecular matter in an optical fiber, or to the scattering of a radio signal as it strikes solid matter in the path between transmitter and receiver.
diffusion Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • innovation: Diffusion of Innovations, fourth edition, The Free Press, New York, NY.
  • molecule: Secondly, the diffusion of guest molecules to the host surface is insignificant with respect to the reaction rate.

Converse of object

  • facilitate: The rate of glucose uptake by facilitated diffusion will increase.

Adjective modifier

  • gaseous: The United States, meanwhile, is re-emphasizing centrifuges over gaseous diffusion, a more cumbersome enrichment technology.
  • atomic: This can only happen by a process of atomic diffusion within the solid.
  • lateral: Nonetheless the proteins retain sufficient mobility to allow the organization into crystalline two-dimensional arrays by lateral diffusion.
  • numerical: The UM uses a full compressible equation set, no turbulence closure ( numerical diffusion only ) and a hybrid terrain following co-ordinate system.
  • molecular: Techniques using the dipolar field can provide more than just a measure of molecular self diffusion.
  • horizontal: Core horizontal diffusion is ~200 m 2 s -1.

Modifies a noun

  • tensor: Diffusion tensor imaging, the scanning method featured by BBC television's Tomorrow's World in February 2001.
  • coefficient: The last stage can be used to estimate a stress diffusion coefficient.
  • tube: Diffusion tubes can also provide valuable data for Stage III.
  • equation: The heat diffusion equation Our aim is to find the heat flux at any point in the medium or its surface.
  • approximation: Bayesian inference for stochastic kinetic models using a diffusion approximation.
  • imaging: Diffusion tensor imaging, the scanning method featured by BBC television's Tomorrow's World in February 2001.

Noun used with modifier

  • vapor: Conventional cotton undergarments absorb moisture and the cotton fibers swell which closes up fabric pores forming a barrier against water vapor diffusion.
  • moisture: In practice, moisture diffusion occurs from all six surfaces.
  • oxygen: Gaseous exchange: diffusion, oxygen diffusion, carbon dioxide diffusion.
  • hydrogen: Figure 6.8: STM images showing paired hydrogen diffusion.
  • grain: Considerable efforts have been made to measure grain boundary diffusion coefficients in rock forming minerals under static conditions ( eg.