Diffuser

Description

1) A material or device that diffuses radiation, whether it is light, sound or heat. Heating and air conditioning vents may place a diffuser unit at duct outlets to direct and disperse air evenly. Photographic lights may have a diffuser placed over the bulb to scatter and soften the illumination.

2) A device placed on a nozzle to slow and disperse a pressurized stream of gas or liquid.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Strahler (Deut.); diffuseur (Fr.);

Resources and Citations

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998