Penetrate vs Diffuse - What's the difference?
penetrate | diffuse |
To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to pierce.
* {{quote-book, year=1879, title=The Telephone, the Microphone and the Phonograph
, author=Th Du Moncel, page=166, publisher=Harper
, passage=He takes the prepared charcoal used by artists, brings it to a white heat, and suddenly plunges it in a bath of mercury, of which the globules instantly penetrate the pores of charcoal, and may be said to metallize it.}}
(figuratively) To achieve understanding of, despite some obstacle; to comprehend; to understand.
* Ray
To affect profoundly through the senses or feelings; to move deeply.
* M. Arnold
To infiltrate an enemy to gather intelligence.
To insert the penis into an opening, such as a vagina or anus. (rfex)
To spread over or through as in air, water, or other matter, especially by fluid motion or passive means.
* Whewell
To be spread over or through as in air, water, or other matter, especially by fluid motion or passive means.
Everywhere or throughout everything; not focused or concentrated.
As verbs the difference between penetrate and diffuse
is that penetrate is to enter into; to make way into the interior of; to pierce while diffuse is to spread over or through as in air, water, or other matter, especially by fluid motion or passive means.As an adjective diffuse is
everywhere or throughout everything; not focused or concentrated.penetrate
English
(Penetration)Verb
(penetrat)- Light penetrates darkness.
- I could not penetrate Burke's opaque rhetoric.
- things which here were too subtile for us to penetrate
- to penetrate one's heart with pity
- The translator of Homer should penetrate himself with a sense of the plainness and directness of Homer's style.
- (Shakespeare)
Derived terms
* penetration * penetrableExternal links
* * * ----diffuse
English
Etymology 1
(etyl), from (etyl) diffusus, past participle ofVerb
(diffus)- We find this knowledge diffused among all civilized nations.
- Food coloring diffuses in water.
- The riot diffused quite suddenly.
Derived terms
* diffuserEtymology 2
(etyl) diffususAdjective
(en adjective)- Such a diffuse effort is unlikely to produce good results.