Meaning & use
infusion
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A drink or liquid made by soaking leaves, herbs or fruit in hot water so that their flavor passes into the water.
Grammar: Countable for one drink (a mint infusion), uncountable for the process.
Patterns
- an infusion of something
- a herbal infusion
She made an infusion of fresh mint after dinner.
Chamomile infusion is a popular bedtime drink.
Let the infusion steep for five minutes.
nouncountablemedical
A slow injection of fluid or medicine into a patient's vein, usually through a drip.
Grammar: Often followed by of: an infusion of saline.
Patterns
- an infusion of something
- receive an infusion
The nurse started an infusion of saline solution.
He had an iron infusion to treat his anemia.
The infusion takes about two hours.
nounsingularfigurative
The addition of a new quality, money or energy to something so that it improves or becomes stronger.
Grammar: Usually appears as an infusion of something into something.
Patterns
- an infusion of something into something
The company needed an infusion of cash to survive.
The chef's menu has an infusion of Asian flavors.
The new coach brought an infusion of energy to the team.
Word forms
| plural | infusions |
|---|
Common combinations
- herbal infusion
- I prefer a herbal infusion to coffee in the evening.
- intravenous infusion
- The patient received an intravenous infusion.
- infusion of cash
- The project depends on an infusion of cash from investors.
- infusion of new ideas
- The school welcomed an infusion of new ideas.
- steep an infusion
- Steep the infusion until the color deepens.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tea
- Tea strictly means a drink from the tea plant, while infusion covers any herb or fruit steeped in water.
- drip
- Drip is the informal word for the equipment and treatment, while infusion is the medical term for the fluid being given.
- injection
- An injection is usually a quick shot with a needle, whereas an infusion goes in slowly over a longer time.
- boost
- Boost is the everyday word for an improving addition, while infusion sounds more formal and suggests something poured in.
Opposites
Word family
- infuse verb
- to soak something to draw out flavor, or to fill with a quality
- infuser noun
- a device that holds tea or herbs in hot water
- infused adjective
- having had flavor or a quality added
- intravenous adjective
- given into a vein
Commonly confused: infusion or diffusion?
infusion vs diffusion
Diffusion is the spreading of particles or ideas, while infusion is putting something into a liquid or a body.
Practice
The struggling restaurant survived thanks to an ____ of cash from a new partner.
Choose one answer.
An infusion of cash means a helpful addition of money. Inclusion and intrusion are real words but do not fit the idea of adding money.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “infusion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.