infuse

present singular third person infuses · participle present infusing · participle past infused · past infused

1. transitiveTo cause to become an element of something; to insert or fill.

   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.

   1989 April 15, Richard F. Tremblay, “Two Days”, in Gay Community News, page 8

2. transitiveTo 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. transitiveTo inspire; to inspirit or animate; to fill (with).

   Infuse his breast with magnanimity.

   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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iv]

   2 more examples

   infusing him with self and vain conceit

   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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]

   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;[…]

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

4. transitiveTo instill as a quality.

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

   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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]

   1 more example

   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?

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

   Synonyms: breathe

5. intransitiveTo undergo infusion.

   Let it infuse for five minutes.

6. transitiveTo make an infusion with (an ingredient); to tincture; to saturate.

   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

   1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC

7. obsoletetransitiveTo pour in, as a liquid; to pour (into or upon); to shed.

   That strong Circean liquor cease t’infuse.

   1668, John Denham, The Progress of Learning