infuse

English

Etymology

From Middle English infusen, from Latin infusus, from infundo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˈfjuz/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːz

Verb

infuse (third-person singular simple present infuses, present participle infusing, simple past and past participle infused)

1. (transitive) To cause to become an element of something; to insert or fill.
   • 1989 April 15, Richard F. Tremblay, “Two Days”, in Gay Community News, page 8:

     Like every day this hellish summer, someone will come to infuse me with four hours with amphotericin, a weed-killer somewhat effective against cryptococcal meningitis.

2. (transitive) To steep in a liquid, so as to extract the soluble constituents (usually medicinal or herbal).
   • 1806-1831, John Redman Coxe, The American Dispensatory

     One scruple of the dried leaves is infused in ten ounces of warm water.

3. (transitive) To inspire; to inspirit or animate; to fill (with).
   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Infuse his breast with magnanimity.

   • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     infusing him with self and vain conceit

   • 1838, [Letitia Elizabeth] Landon (indicated as editor), chapter XV, in Duty and Inclination: , volume II, London: Henry Colburn, , →OCLC, page 219:

     The uproar of the sea, the yell of the Indians, the rapidity with which the boat at intervals was driven, threatening at every moment to be engulphed, might have infused terror into the most undaunted; […]

4. (transitive) To instill as a quality.
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     That souls of animals infuse themselves
     Into the trunks of men.

   • c. 1720, Jonathan Swift, An Essay on Modern Education:

     Why should he desire to have qualities infused into his son, which himself never possessed, or knew, or found the want of, in the acquisition of his wealth?

5. (intransitive) To undergo infusion.

   Let it infuse for five minutes.

6. (transitive) To make an infusion with (an ingredient); to tincture; to saturate.
   • 1631, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. , 3rd edition, London: William Rawley; rinted by J H for William Lee , →OCLC:

     if you infuse Rubarb for an hour ; and crush it well, it will purge better, and bind the Body less after the purġing, than if it stood Twenty four hours

7. (transitive, obsolete) To pour in, as a liquid; to pour (into or upon); to shed.
   • 1668, John Denham, The Progress of Learning:

     That strong Circean liquor cease t’infuse.

Derived terms

Related terms

• coinfuse
• infusion
• suffuse

Translations

See also

• fuse

References

• 1902 Webster's International dictionary.
• 1984 Consise Oxford 7th ed.

French

Adjective

infuse

1. feminine singular of infus

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /inˈfu.ze/
• Rhymes: -uze
• Hyphenation: in‧fù‧se

Etymology 1

Verb

infuse

1. third-person singular past historic of infondere

Etymology 2

Participle

infuse f pl

1. feminine plural of infuso

Latin

Participle

īnfūse

1. vocative masculine singular of īnfūsus