Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To remove the fuse from (an explosive device).
- transitive verb To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile.
from The Century Dictionary.
- etc. See
diffuse , etc.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb obsolete To disorder; to make shapeless.
- transitive verb To remove the fuse from; to deactivate (a bomb or other explosive device) or make it ineffective.
- transitive verb To make less dangerous.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb obsolete To
disorder ; to makeshapeless . - verb To remove the
fuse from (a bomb, etc.). - verb To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb remove the triggering device from
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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One expert who was a chemical weapons specialist with the U.S. government says malls in the U.S. and elsewhere are susceptible to what he calls a defuse threat.
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Likewise a vague mention of a 'truth and reconciliation commission' for Balochistan will not in the short-term defuse the situation unless practical and tangible confidence-building measures are taken to assuage the angry Baloch.
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Renewing Google's license "was a smart move on the part of the Chinese government to kind of defuse the situation," said Paul Denlinger, an Internet consultant for startups.
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At what point is it not enough that the mother can "defuse" the situation -- when the situation shouldn't be occurring in the first place?
Jane Devin: Baker Act Used Against 7 Year Old: Delusional Parents or Cops in the Wrong? 2009
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While mother Barbara Smith admits that her son has thrown such tantrums before, and was once suspended for knocking over a desk, she believes she should have been allowed to "defuse" the situation without police intervention.
Jane Devin: Baker Act Used Against 7 Year Old: Delusional Parents or Cops in the Wrong? 2009
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Renewing Google's license "was a smart move on the part of the Chinese government to kind of defuse the situation," said Paul Denlinger, an Internet consultant for startups.
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"Basically, this was a smart move on the part of the Chinese government to kind of defuse the situation," said Paul Denlinger, an Internet consultant for startups.
CBS 2 - KCAL 9 - Los Angeles - Southern California - LA Breaking News, Weather, Traffic, Sports 2010
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Knowing Sarkozy, he probably made a pass a Merkel in an attempt to "defuse" the situation.
Latest Articles 2010
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The one that was designed to "defuse" the whole Reverend Wright issue? ...
Blogrunner 2010
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Renewing Google's license "was a smart move on the part of the Chinese government to kind of defuse the situation," said Paul Denlinger, an Internet consultant for startups.
larry_kunz commented on the word defuse
If a situation is turning tense, and I do something to ease the tension, what's the right verb? Did I defuse the situation or diffuse the tension? Does it matter?
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word defuse
Good question. I think the difference is whether the tension is going to explode, in which case it is defused (bomb-like). But a less tangible tension would be diffused.
May 19, 2010
chained_bear commented on the word defuse
I think it matters. If you're defusing, I'd say "the situation" should be the object--as thtownse says, as if the situation were going to explode--but if you want to do something to the tension, it seems like diffuse is the way to go. Tension doesn't really explode.
It does, however, get thick. I mean, I guess so. People say so, anyhow.
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word defuse
That makes sense.
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word defuse
do you ever look at the Twitter feeds? This one was in with defuse: "Ok now I'm not saying I'm excited for MacGruber but I just tried to defuse a bomb with pantyhose, a lighter and some cat hair. Didn't work "
Other people lead such interesting lives.
May 19, 2010
chelster commented on the word defuse
"Diffuse" and "defuse" are not interchangeable, and the former is now often misused for the latter. The following is from my book THE ACCIDENTS OF STYLE, which will be published by St. Martin's Press this August:
If your intended meaning is “to spread out, scatter, or disseminate,” use diffuse. Lamps diffuse light. The sun diffuses fog. And kindergarten teachers diffuse rudimentary knowledge while their sniffling, sneezing pupils diffuse germs.
If your intended meaning is “to make something less harmful or troublesome,” use defuse. You can defuse a bomb, render it harmless, or defuse a ticklish or potentially explosive situation.
May 19, 2010
chained_bear commented on the word defuse
Right. So you're dissipating tension, or defusing a situation.
May 19, 2010
reesetee commented on the word defuse
It definitely matters. "Diffuse" isn't the appropriate word there.
May 20, 2010
bilby commented on the word defuse
Well, in theory you could diffuse tension by spreading it among people but that would hardly improve the situation.
May 20, 2010
reesetee commented on the word defuse
In my experience, that usually tends to increase it. ;-)
May 20, 2010
oldwilliam commented on the word defuse
I don't know much about American English, but on the Eastern side of the Atlantic Ocean the two words "diffuse" and "defuse" mean two completely different things, and anyone who writes about "diffusing a situation" will just be marked as wrong, and laughed at!
So, on this thread, only chelster and reesetee are correct as far as British English is concerned. You do get some strange ideas over there... and anyone with shares in the company that publishes "The Century Dictionary" would be well-advised to sell them as quickly as possible!
August 4, 2023