Where does “diffuse” come from?

Diffuse comes from Middle English diffuse, from Latin diffusus, the past participle of diffundo, composed of the prefix dis- and fundus meaning bottom or foundation, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰudʰ-mn and dwóh₁.

diffuse (English): To spread over or through as in air, water, or...

Definitions

  1. To spread over or through as in air, water, or...

Ancestry of “diffuse”, step by step

diffuse traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English diffuse

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdiffuse
2Latindiffūsusdiffused or spread (throughout)
3Latindiffunderesecond-person singular future passive indicative...

via Middle French diffuser

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchdiffuser

Words derived from “diffuse

Every word from Latin diffundereEvery word from Latin diffūsusEvery word from Middle English diffuse