diffuser

or dif·fu·sor

[ dih-fyoo-zer ]

noun
  1. a person or thing that diffuses.

  2. (in various machines or mechanical systems, as centrifugal pumps or compressors) a device for utilizing part of the kinetic energy of a fluid passing through a machine by gradually increasing the cross-sectional area of the channel or chamber through which it flows so as to decrease its speed and increase its pressure.

  1. (in a lighting fixture) any of a variety of translucent materials for filtering glare from the light source.

  2. a pierced plate or similar device for distributing compressed air for aeration of sewage.

Origin of diffuser

1
First recorded in 1670–80; diffuse + -er1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use diffuser in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for diffuser

diffuser

diffusor

/ (dɪˈfjuːzə) /


noun
  1. a person or thing that diffuses

  2. a part of a lighting fixture consisting of a translucent or frosted covering or of a rough reflector: used to scatter the light and prevent glare

  1. a cone, wedge, or baffle placed in front of the diaphragm of a loudspeaker to diffuse the sound waves

  2. a duct, esp in a wind tunnel or jet engine, that widens gradually in the direction of flow to reduce the speed and increase the pressure of the air or fluid

  3. photog a light-scattering medium, such as a screen of fine fabric, placed in the path of a source of light to reduce the sharpness of shadows and thus soften the lighting

  4. a perforated plate or similar device for distributing compressed air in the aeration of sewage

  5. a device, attached to a hairdryer, which diffuses the warm air as it comes out

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012