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infusion

/ɪnˈfjuʒən/
/ɪnˈfjuʒən/
IPA guide

Other forms: infusions

The most common example of an infusion you are likely to encounter in your daily life is your morning cup of coffee. An infusion is the creation of a new substance by steeping another substance in a liquid, usually water.

Infusion is often misused with transfusion, which has a slightly different meaning. A transfusion, as in a blood transfusion, is the simple addition of one substance to another, without the creation of something new. But a drip feed of medicine, for example, is technically an infusion as it alters the state of the blood. See, you’re halfway to becoming a doctor (or at least a linguist) simply by reading this site.

Definitions of infusion
  1. noun
    the act of infusing or introducing a certain modifying element or quality
    “the team's continued success is attributable to a steady infusion of new talent”
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    type of:
    change of state
    the act of changing something into something different in essential characteristics
  2. noun
    (medicine) the passive introduction of a substance (a fluid or drug or electrolyte) into a vein or between tissues (as by gravitational force)
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    type of:
    instillation, instillment, instilment
    the introduction of a liquid (by pouring or injection) drop by drop
  3. noun
    the process of extracting certain active properties (as a drug from a plant) by steeping or soaking (usually in water)
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    type of:
    extraction
    the process of obtaining something from a mixture or compound by chemical or physical or mechanical means
  4. noun
    a solution obtained by steeping or soaking a substance (usually in water)
    synonyms: extract
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    types:
    Bovril, beef tea
    an extract of beef (given to people who are ill)
    black catechu, catechu
    extract of the heartwood of Acacia catechu used for dyeing and tanning and preserving fishnets and sails; formerly used medicinally
    pancreatin
    extract from the pancreas of animals that contains pancreatic enzymes; used to treat pancreatitis and other conditions involving insufficient pancreatic secretions
    type of:
    solution
    a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution
Pronunciation
US
/ɪnˈfjuʒən/
UK
/ɪnˈfjuʒən/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘infusion'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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