fuse
FYOOZ
/fjuːz/
To join or blend light or molten material together by melting; or a safety device that melts to break an electrical circuit.
Fuse emphasizes thorough blending into a seamless, unified whole, whether physically with liquid metals or conceptually with ideas.
The story behind the word. Fuse traces back to the Latin 'fundere,' meaning to pour or melt. Foundry and fusion come from the exact same Latin root, reflecting the ancient practice of pouring molten metal into molds.
Word relationships
- merge: Merge implies coming together naturally or organizationally, while fuse emphasizes unification through heat or intense bonding.
- separate: Separate means to divide apart, whereas fuse means to unite completely.
Commonly confused with
- defuse: Defuse means to make a bomb or explosive situation safe, not to un-melt fused metal.
Word family
- fusion (noun): The process or result of joining two or more things into one
- fusible (adjective): Capable of being melted or fused
Collocations
- fuse together
- fuse into
- thermonuclear fuse
- electric fuse
Idioms & expressions
- blow a fuse
Example sentences
- "Under extreme furnace heat, the two distinct metal powders fuse into a single dense compound." Metallurgy
- "The artisan chose to fuse colored glass panels together in a kiln to create a decorative window." Art and Design
Memory hook
FUSE sounds like SUFFUSE: heat pours through until metals become one. Melt and merge as one.
When not to use
Avoid using when referring to mechanical fastening like bolting or riveting, where materials do not melt into each other.
Fun facts
- Nuclear fusion, the power source of stars, forces hydrogen nuclei to fuse into helium under millions of degrees of heat.
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