Affuse

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈfjuːz/

Definitions

1. To pour a liquid gently over something, as in wetting or soaking by sprinkling
2. To flow or scatter liquid softly onto a surface in small streams or drops
3. The act of washing or moistening something by flowing or sprinkling a liquid over it

Etymology: "Affuse" entered English as a learned borrowing from Latin "affundere", meaning "to pour onto, sprinkle, or scatter." The Latin verb is built from "ad-" ("to, toward") and "fundere" ("to pour"), the same root that gives English "fuse" in its older sense of melting, and "effusion," a pouring out. The English word keeps the Latin idea of liquid flowing over something, so it describes the act of wetting or washing by pouring or sprinkling. Because it comes straight from Latin rather than through everyday speech, the word sounds technical and formal, and it has stayed in the register of specialist and literary writing. Its close relatives in English, such as "effuse" and "diffuse," show the same root spreading outward in different directions.

Synonyms: pour, spill, shower

Antonyms: collect, conserve