diffuse (verb dih-FYOOZ; adjective dih-FYOOS)
(1 - Television is a powerful means of diffusing knowledge.)
(2 - The guide tried to diffuse the tension with his grin.)
(3 - The smoke may have been too diffuse to detect.)
a) To contract or minimize something
b) To amplify or intensify something
c) To spread or cause something to spread in many directions
d) To confine or concentrate something