fusion

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noun, often attributive fu·sion \ ˈfyü-zhᵊn \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of fusion

1 :the act or process of liquefying or rendering plastic by heat

2 :a union by or as if by melting: such as

a :a merging of diverse, distinct, or separate elements into a unified whole

Opera is a fusion of several arts.

b :a political partnership :coalition

a fusion of Democrats and independent Republicans
—N. Y. Times

c :popular music combining different styles (such as jazz and rock)

d :food prepared using techniques and ingredients of two or more ethnic or regional cuisines

a restaurant that specializes in Indian-Chinese fusion

— called also fusion cuisine

3 :the union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous quantities of energy when certain light elements unite

nuclear fusion

See fusion defined for English-language learners

See fusion defined for kids

Examples of fusion in a Sentence

a fusion of different methods
a fusion of musical styles
The show is a fusion of news and entertainment.
The fusion of different cultural influences is evident in her sculpture.

Recent Examples of fusion from the Web

Our tour includes everything from fresh local flavors to savory Asian fusion, with tidbits about Boise history and public art on the side.

— hailey ross, idahostatesman, "Sample some of Boise’s good eats, sips, stories with ‘The Ambassador of Idaho.’," 21 Aug. 2017
The fusion of acne medication and makeup is hardly new, but consider this: Most acne makeup is terrible.

— ashley weatherford, The Cut, "This Concealer Also Fights Acne," 7 Aug. 2017
In another provision, Senate appropriators once again have moved to zero out funding for the U.S. contribution to ITER, the gigantic fusion experiment under construction in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, France.

— adrian cho, Science | AAAS, "Senate budgetmakers move to keep ARPA-E, bump up DOE science spending," 18 July 2017
Fire represents the fusion of different cultures, knowledge, belief and philosophies.

— laurie delk, sandiegouniontribune.com, "A feast for the eyes at San Diego eateries," 13 July 2017
Carbon, like almost all other elements, is made in stars, where fusion creates heavier elements from the nuclei of lighter ones.

— The Economist, "If the universe was not “fine-tuned”Reflections on the fine-structure constant," 13 July 2017
Not only rock and pop – but jazz was going through a fusion thing with long solos and time changes and that sort of thing.

— chris varias, Cincinnati.com, "Chicago comes to Cincinnati," 10 July 2017
The water theme dripped out into the surreal, brooding couture creations that revisited the Dutch wunderkind’s signature fusion of organic forms with technology and mechanics.

— thomas adamson, The Seattle Times, "Art mixes with the aquatic for Paris Couture Week," 3 July 2017
Many experts believe fusion to be a safer alternative to fission technology.

— dennis normile, Science | AAAS, "South Korea’s nuclear U-turn draws praise and darts," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fusion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of fusion

borrowed from Medieval Latin fūsiōn-, fūsiō "process of pouring, casting of molten metal," going back to Latin, "process of pouring, effusion," from fud-, variant stem of fundere "to pour, shed, cast (liquid metal)" (Medieval Latin also, "to melt down, make liquid") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at ⁵found

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

fusion Synonyms

Synonyms

admixture, alloy, amalgam, amalgamation, cocktail, combination, composite, compound, conflation, emulsion, blend, intermixture, meld, mix, mixture, synthesis

Near Antonyms

component, constituent, element, ingredient

Other Energy Engineering Terms

scram

FUSION Defined for English Language Learners

fusion

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noun

Definition of fusion for English Language Learners

: a combination or mixture of things
physics : a process in which the nuclei of atoms are joined
: a type of popular music that combines different styles (such as jazz and rock)

FUSION Defined for Kids

fusion

play

noun fu·sion \ ˈfyü-zhən \

Definition of fusion for Students

1 :an act of fusing or melting together

2 :union by or as if by melting

3 :union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous quantities of energy

Medical Dictionary

fusion

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noun, often attributive fu·sion \ ˈfyü-zhən \

medical Definition of fusion

1 a :the act or process of liquefying or rendering plastic by heat

b :the liquid or plastic state induced by heat

2 :a union by or as if by melting together: as

a :a merging of diverse elements into a unified whole; specifically :the blending of retinal images in binocular vision

b :a combination of ingredients achieved by heating and mixing together

(1) :a blend of sensations, perceptions, ideas, or attitudes such that the component elements can seldom be identified by introspective analysis

(2) :the perception of light from a source that is intermittent above a critical frequency as if the source were continuous — called also flicker fusion; compare flicker

d :the surgical immobilization of a joint — see spinal fusion

3 :the union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous quantities of energy when certain light elements unite — called also nuclear fusion

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