fus-, fun-, fund-, fut-, found-
(Latin > French: pour, melt, blend)
confusedly (adverb), more confusedly, most confusedly
1. Descriptive of being unable to think with clarity or to act with understanding and intelligence.
2. A reference to the lack of logical order or sense; characterized by being chaotic or jumbled.
2. A reference to the lack of logical order or sense; characterized by being chaotic or jumbled.
1. The state or quality of being in no logical or sensible order.
2. Unable to think, or reason, clearly or to act sensibly because of a lack of any clear and orderly thoughts and behaviors.
2. Unable to think, or reason, clearly or to act sensibly because of a lack of any clear and orderly thoughts and behaviors.
confusing (adjective), more confusing, most confusing
1. Lacking clarity of meaning.
2. Unclear and difficult to understand.
2. Unclear and difficult to understand.
Examples of situations which are confusing:
- An announcement at an "underground station" in central London: "As you enter the platform, please move left and right away from the entrances."
- Again, at the same station: "Please use both sides of the moving up escalators; standing on the right and walking on the left."
- Advice contained in a BBC news report about polluted water. "A rabbit has been named as the cause of a sickness bug which was found in water supplies in Northamptonshire. Customers in 100,000 homes were told by Anglian Water to boil tap water for up to 10 days."
- A sign seen in a supermarket: "Healthy Living Chicken Breasts" on sale.
1. A mental state characterized by a lack of clear and orderly thought and behavior: After her car accident, Jane suffered from confusion and didn’t know what actually happened.
2. The misunderstanding of a situation or the facts: In Jim's English class, there was a lot of confusion about the difference in meanings between the terms “facetious” and "fictitious” because many of the students had problems using these words correctly in their essays.
3. A failure to distinguish between people or things: Jane was in a state of confusion about her new relatives and had to write a list of who belonged to which side of the family.
4. A chaotic or disordered state: The children played together wonderfully in David's bedroom; however, when they left the room, it was in complete confusion with the table turned upside down, the bedspread was on the floor, the toys were scattered all over the place, and the books were not in the bookcase anymore!
5. Self-consciousness or embarrassment: Sara was in a state of confusion and very upset after realizing that she had greeted someone whom she thought was her sister-in-law.
2. The misunderstanding of a situation or the facts: In Jim's English class, there was a lot of confusion about the difference in meanings between the terms “facetious” and "fictitious” because many of the students had problems using these words correctly in their essays.
3. A failure to distinguish between people or things: Jane was in a state of confusion about her new relatives and had to write a list of who belonged to which side of the family.
4. A chaotic or disordered state: The children played together wonderfully in David's bedroom; however, when they left the room, it was in complete confusion with the table turned upside down, the bedspread was on the floor, the toys were scattered all over the place, and the books were not in the bookcase anymore!
5. Self-consciousness or embarrassment: Sara was in a state of confusion and very upset after realizing that she had greeted someone whom she thought was her sister-in-law.
In medicine, a controlled method of prolonged drug administration that includes the ability to control the delivery rate.
The passage of blood through the arteries of the heart: When the heart is unable to provide coronary perfusions naturally, an external device may be used to keep the blood flowing through these blood vessels.
defuse (verb), defuses; defused; defusing
1. To remove the fuse from; such as, an explosive device.
2. To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile: "There was a diplomatic move by the ambassador that helped to defuse the international crisis."
2. To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile: "There was a diplomatic move by the ambassador that helped to defuse the international crisis."
diffuse (verb), diffuses; diffused; diffusing
1. To scatter something over an area, or to become scattered over an area.
2. To make something, especially light, less bright or intense, or become less bright or intense.
2. To make something, especially light, less bright or intense, or become less bright or intense.
diffuse (adjective), more diffuse, most diffuse
1. A reference to something that is spread out over a large area and which is not concentrated or focused in one space: The diffuse university has been emphasizing a liberal arts education and not just being focused on technology.
2. Pertaining to a lack of conciseness, clarity, or understanding: The man presented a diffuse argument as to how he lost control of his car and ran off the road while he was driving home.
3. Etymology: from Latin diffusum, "poured forth"; from dis-, "away" + fundere, "to pour".
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
2. Pertaining to a lack of conciseness, clarity, or understanding: The man presented a diffuse argument as to how he lost control of his car and ran off the road while he was driving home.
3. Etymology: from Latin diffusum, "poured forth"; from dis-, "away" + fundere, "to pour".
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
diffuse radiation (s) (noun), diffuse insolation, diffuse irradiance, diffuse illuminance, diffuse sunlight
All of these terms are descriptions of solar radiation that is received indirectly on the surface of the earth, rather than directly from solar rays: "Diffuse radiation, etc. are all caused by the scattering that is a result of clouds, fog, haze, dust, or other barriers in the atmosphere."
diffuse reflectance, diffuse transmittance (s) (noun); diffuse reflectances, diffuse transmittances (pl)
1. The reflection of electromagnetic radiation from a surface in all directions evenly.
2. The ratio of the diffusely reflected part of the whole reflected flux, to the incident flux.
2. The ratio of the diffusely reflected part of the whole reflected flux, to the incident flux.
Flux is the rate of flow of something: such as, energy, particles, or fluid volume across or onto a given area.
A reflection process in which the reflected radiation is sent out in many directions, usually bearing no simple relationship to the angle of incidence; characteristic of rough surfaces.
diffusedly (adverb), more diffusedly, most diffusedly
With wide dispersion, spread abroad, flowing, or being loose.
The state or condition of being widely spread.
diffusely (adverb), more diffusely, most diffusely
1. Becoming widely spread; such as, through a membrane or fluid.
2. Characterized by not being definitely limited or localized.
2. Characterized by not being definitely limited or localized.