Lewis & Short

dif-fundo, fūdi, fūsum, 3, v. a., to spread by pouring, to pour out, pour forth (very freq. and class.).

  1. I. Lit.: (glacies) liquefacta se diffunderet, Cic. N. D. 2, 10: sanguis per venas in omne corpus diffunditur, id. ib. 2, 55, 138: (unda) diffunditur Hellesponto, Cat. 64, 359; cf.: tum freta diffundi jussit, to pour themselves forth, Ov. M. 1, 36: vinum de doliis, to draw off, bottle off; to fill, Col. 12, 28, 3; so of racking off wine, id. 3, 2, 26; Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 4 Krüg. ad loc.; Ov. F. 5, 517; Juv. 5, 30; Plin. 14, 14, 16, § 94 et saep.
    1. B. Transf., of objects not liquid, to spread, scatter, diffuse: nitet diffuso lumine caelum, Lucr. 1, 9; 3, 22; cf.: luce diffusa toto caelo, Cic. N. D. 2, 37 fin.; 2, 10, 26: ab ejus summo rami late diffunduntur, * Caes. B. G. 6, 26 fin.; cf. under P. a.: dederatque comam diffundere ventis, Verg. A. 1, 319; so, comam, Ov. F. 3, 538; cf. capillos, id. H. 10, 47: signa (i. e. astra) caelo, Hor. S. 1, 5, 10: equitem latis campis, Verg. A. 11, 465.
      Mid.: modo via coartatur, modo latissimis pratis diffunditur et patescit, opens, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 3 et saep.: cibus in totas usque ab radicibus imis, per truncos ac per ramos, diffunditur, Lucr. 1, 354; cf.: partem vocum per aures, id. 4, 571: vim mali Herculeos per artus, Ov. M. 9, 162: medicamentum se diffudit in venas, Curt. 3, 6, 16: aethera late in omnes partes, Lucr. 5, 470: flammam in omne latus, Ov. M. 9, 239; 10, 24 et saep.
  2. II. Trop., to spread, diffuse, scatter: di vim suam longe lateque diffundunt, Cic. Div. 1, 36, 79; cf. in the part. perf.: error longe lateque diffusus, id. Fin. 2, 34, 115; so, late longeque, id. Leg. 1, 12, 34: laus alicujus late longeque diffusa, id. Balb. 5, 13: late et varie diffusus, id. Sest. 45, 97: flendo diffundimus iram, we moderate, temper, Ov. H. 8, 61: dolorem suum flendo, to give vent to, id. M. 9, 143: tantam oblivionem sensibus, Hor. Epod. 14, 1 et saep.
    Mid.: Claudia nunc a quo diffunditur et tribus et gens Per Latium, spreads itself out, branches out, Verg. A. 7, 703: diffunditur mare iterumque contrahitur, Mart. Cap. 6, § 606: crede animam quoque diffundi multoque perire Ocius, et citius dissolvi in corpora, Lucr. 3, 437: affectus per totam actionem, Quint. 7, 10, 12: bella et paces longum in aevum, Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 8: haec in ora virum, Verg. A. 4, 195: animam in arma cruore, id. ib. 10, 908: crimen paucarum in omnes, Ov. A. A. 3, 9: prope in immensum oratio mea, Plin. Pan. 56, 2 et saep.: inde doctrina se diffudit per ceteras Graeciae partes, August. Serm. 150, 2.
    1. B. In partic. (like dissolvere, solvere, remittere, etc., and opp. contrahere, adducere, etc.), with the accessory idea of non-restraint, freedom, qs, to let the heart, countenance, etc., flow freely, without constraint, i. e. to cheer up, gladden, exhilarate: diffundet animos omnibus ista dies, Ov. A. A. 1, 218; so, animos, id. M. 4, 766: vultum, id. Pont. 4, 4, 9; id. M. 14, 272; Sen. Ep. 106.
      1. 2. Of the persons themselves: ut ex bonis amici quas diffundantur et incommodis contrahantur. Cic. Lael. 13 fin.: Jovem memorant, diffusum nectare, curas Seposuisse graves, Ov. M. 3, 318, imitated by Stat. S. 4, 2, 54; cf.: diffusus in risum, Petr. 10, 3; id. 71, 1 al.
        Hence, diffūsus, a, um, P. a., spread abroad, spread out, extended, wide (a favorite expression of the post-Aug. prosaists).
    1. A. Lit.: platanus patulis diffusa ramis, Cic. de Or. 1, 7, 28; cf.: diffusiora consepta, Col. 1, 4, 7; Plin. 16, 16, 28, § 70; Mart. 3, 31: latior scena et corona diffusior, Plin. Ep. 7, 17, 9: sus (opp. angusta), stout, fat, Plin. 16, 6, 8, § 25.
    2. B. Trop.: jus civile, quod nunc diffusum et dissipatum est, in certa genera coacturum, diffuse, prolix, Cic. de Or. 2, 33, 142; cf. Col. 11, 1, 10: opus diffusum, Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 6; and transf. to the writers: Diophanes totum Dionysium, per multa diffusum volumina, sex epitomis circumscripsit, id. 1, 1, 10: amplius ac diffusius meritum, Plin. Pan. 53, 3.
      Adv.: diffūsē, in a scattered manner; copiously: res disperse et diffuse dictae unum in locum coguntur, Cic. Inv. 1, 52, 98; cf.: haec latius aliquando dicenda sunt et diffusius, more amply, more in full, id. Tusc. 3, 10, 22.
      Sup. of the adj. and adv. do not occur.