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diffusive

diffusive

1 7.7
Spreads slowly through a material, like ink in water
  • adjective
  • /dɪˈfjuːsɪv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : difusivo
  • For molecular motors, unlike bacteria, the diffusive motion overwhelms the directed motion of swimming.
  • self-diffusive
  • diffusive goodness
  • diffusive transport

Examples

  • The perfume has a diffusive quality that fills the entire room with its scent.

  • The diffusive flux enables incorporating the level set formulation within an existing Galerkin finite element framework.

    Academic text (2018)
  • And for that, before I show you what diffusive motion is, I should start by telling you what uniform motion looks like.

  • Provided the flow rates are fast, the protein stream narrows to a length scale small enough to facilitate fast diffusive mixing.

    Academic text (2011)
  • At a microscopic level, the diffusive process is a sequence of random movements of the diffuser relative to its surroundings.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Results of the experiment will be translated to the nanoscale for the development of a more comprehensive predictive model of the diffusive transport in nanoconfinement.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The diffusive form of the regularization term ensures curvature-based motion, resulting in smooth evolution of the level sets around the interface.

    Academic text (2018)
  • In a diffusive medium, particles spread out evenly over time.

  • The diffusive nature of the gas allows it to slowly permeate through the air.

Synonyms

dispersive
vsdiffusive
  • Specialized
1 7.9

To cause tiny pieces, light or sound to spread out

tends to spread itself rather than primarily causing spread
disseminative
vsdiffusive
8.4

Likely to spread widely, for example news or disease

tends to spread by diffusion without stressing wide distribution
diffusional
vsdiffusive
  • Specialized
7.8

Relating to the slow movement of tiny particles through a material from crowded to less crowded areas

tends to spread by diffusion itself rather than merely relating to it
diffusionist
vsdiffusive
8.4

About the way something spreads from one place to another

describes an actual tendency to spread rather than a theory or view
permeating
vsdiffusive
5.8

Spreads through a place or thing and fills every part

tends to spread by diffusion without implying full saturation
permeative
vsdiffusive
8.3

Spreading through a place or group and affecting everything there

spreads by diffusion specifically rather than just generally seeping through
diffusible
vsdiffusive
  • Specialized
7.2

Able to pass through a material, like a gas or liquid

tends to spread on its own rather than only being movable
dispersible
vsdiffusive
  • Specialized
6.0

Able to dissolve and mix easily in water

spreads by diffusion itself rather than needing mixing into a liquid
suffusive
vsdiffusive
  • Literature
9.9

Spreading a soft color or feeling slowly over something

tends to spread by diffusion but without the emotive or color sense
propagative
vsdiffusive
8.6

Able to make more of itself or spread to new places

is about spreading by diffusion rather than by reproduction or transmission

How Diffusive

pervasive
66 7.1
widespread
256 3.6
diffusive
  • Specialized
1 7.7
scattered
1 3.5
localized
  • US
4.8

Surface Forms

diffusive positive

Morphology

diffusive = diffuse (transparent) = diffuse + ive

Formed from the common verb 'diffuse' with the productive adjectival suffix '-ive', so the meaning 'tending to spread' is directly derivable.

Etymology

Diffusive comes from Latin parts dis- 'apart' and fundere 'to pour', so it once meant 'to pour out in different directions'. Think of it like water spilled from a cup that spreads everywhere; that is why diffusive describes something that spreads by diffusion.