Dif"fi*dent (?), a. [L. diffidens, -entis, p. pr. of diffidere; dif- = dis + fidere to trust; akin to fides faith. See Faith, and cf. Defy.] 1. Wanting confidence in others; distrustful. [Archaic]
You were always extremely diffident of their success.
Melmoth.
2. Wanting confidence in one's self; distrustful of one's own powers; not self-reliant; timid; modest; bashful; characterized by modest reserve.
The diffident maidens,
Folding their hands in prayer.
Longfellow.
Syn. -- Distrustful; suspicious; hesitating; doubtful; modest; bashful; lowly; reserved.
Dif"fi*dent*ly, adv. In a diffident manner.
To stand diffidently against each other with their thoughts in battle array.
Hobbes.
Dif*find (?), v. t. [L. diffindere, diffissum; dif- = dis- + findere to split.] To split. [Obs.] Bailey.
Dif*fine" (?), v. t. To define. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Dif*fin"i*tive (?), a. [For definitive.] Definitive; determinate; final. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.
Dif*fis"sion (?), n. [See Diffind.] Act of cleaving or splitting. [R.] Bailey.
Dif*fla"tion (?), n. [LL. difflatio, fr. L. difflare, difflatum, to disperse by blowing.] A blowing apart or away. [Obs.] Bailey.
{ Dif"flu*ence (?), Dif"flu*en*cy (?), } n. A flowing off on all sides; fluidity. [R.]
Dif"flu*ent (?), a. [L. diffluens, p. pr. of diffluere to flow off; dif- = dis- + fluere to flow.] Flowing apart or off; dissolving; not fixed. [R.] Bailey.
Dif"form` (?), a. [Cf. F. difforme, fr. L. dif- = dis- + forma form. Cf. Deform.] Irregular in form; -- opposed to uniform; anomalous; hence, unlike; dissimilar; as, to difform corolla, the parts of which do not correspond in size or proportion; difform leaves.
The unequal refractions of difform rays.
Sir I. Newton.
Dif*form"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. difformité. See Difform, Deformity.] Irregularity of form; diversity of form; want of uniformity. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Dif*fract" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Diffracted; p. pr. & vb. n. Diffracting.] [L. diffractus, p. p. of diffringere to break in pieces; dif- = dis- + frangere to break. See Fracture.] To break or separate into parts; to deflect, or decompose by deflection, a&?; rays of light.
Dif*frac"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. diffraction.] (Opt.) The deflection and decomposition of light in passing by the edges of opaque bodies or through narrow slits, causing the appearance of parallel bands or fringes of prismatic colors, as by the action of a grating of fine lines or bars.
Remarked by Grimaldi (1665), and referred by him to a property of light which he called diffraction.
Whewell.
Diffraction grating. (Optics) See under Grating. -- Diffraction spectrum. (Optics) See under Spectrum.
Dif*frac"tive (?), a. That produces diffraction.
{ Dif*fran"chise (?), Dif*fran"chise*ment (?) }. See Disfranchise, Disfranchisement.
Dif*fus"ate (?), n. (Chem.) Material which, in the process of catalysis, has diffused or passed through the separating membrane.
Dif*fuse" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Diffused (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Diffusing.] [L. diffusus, p. p. of diffundere to pour out, to diffuse; dif- = dis- + fundere to pour. See Fuse to melt.] To pour out and cause to spread, as a fluid; to cause to flow on all sides; to send out, or extend, in all directions; to spread; to circulate; to disseminate; to scatter; as to diffuse information.
Thence diffuse
His good to worlds and ages infinite.
Milton.
We find this knowledge diffused among all civilized nations.
Whewell.
Syn. -- To expand; spread; circulate; extend; scatter; disperse; publish; proclaim.
Dif*fuse", v. i. To pass by spreading every way, to diffuse itself.
Dif*fuse" (?), a. [L. diffusus, p. p.] Poured out; widely spread; not restrained; copious; full; esp., of style, opposed to concise or terse; verbose; prolix; as, a diffuse style; a diffuse writer.
A diffuse and various knowledge of divine and human things.
Milton.
Syn. -- Prolix; verbose; wide; copious; full. See Prolix.
Dif*fused" (?), a. Spread abroad; dispersed; loose; flowing; diffuse.
It grew to be a widely diffused opinion.
Hawthorne.
-- Dif*fus"ed*ly (#), adv. -- Dif*fus"ed*ness, n.
Dif*fuse"ly (?), adv. In a diffuse manner.
Dif*fuse"ness, n. The quality of being diffuse; especially, in writing, the use of a great or excessive number of word to express the meaning; copiousness; verbosity; prolixity.
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Dif*fus"er (?), n. One who, or that which, diffuses.
Dif*fu`si*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality of being diffusible; capability of being poured or spread out.
Dif*fu"si*ble (?), a. 1. Capable of flowing or spreading in all directions; that may be diffused.