noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/diːˈfjuːzəl/
General-American:/diˈfjuzəl/
General-American:/dɪˈfjuzəl/
rhymes with -uːzəl
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act or process of making safe an explosive device (for example, a bomb, mine, or improvised explosive device), as by removing, disabling, or neutralizing its fuse, detonator, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Qualifier: explosives
Topics: government, military, politics, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The act or process of calming, de-escalating, or otherwise making a potentially dangerous, volatile, or tense situation less dangerous or tense.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A particular instance or operation of defusing, especially an explosive device.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From defuse + -al.
Across languages
Translations
23 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
إبطال مفعول
(ibṭāl mafʿūl)
— act or process of making safe an explosive device
Chinese:
拆弹
(chāidàn)
— act or process of making safe an explosive device
Chinese:
排爆
(páibào)
— act or process of making safe an explosive device
French:
désamorçage
— act or process of making safe an explosive device
German:
Entschärfung
— act or process of making safe an explosive device
Italian:
disinnesco
— act or process of making safe an explosive device
Japanese:
爆弾解除
(bakudan kaijo)
— act or process of making safe an explosive device
Portuguese:
desativação
— act or process of making safe an explosive device
Russian:
обезвре́живание
(obezvréživanije)
— act or process of making safe an explosive device
Spanish:
desactivación
— act or process of making safe an explosive device
Arabic:
تهدئة
(tahdi'a)
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
Arabic:
خفض التصعيد
(khafḍ at-taṣʿīd)
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
Chinese:
缓和
(huǎnhé)
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
French:
désamorçage
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
German:
Entschärfung
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
German:
Deeskalation
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
Italian:
distensione
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
Japanese:
緊張緩和
(kinchō kanwa)
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
Portuguese:
distensão
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
Russian:
разря́дка
(razrjádka)
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
Russian:
деэскала́ция
(deeskalácija)
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
Spanish:
desescalada
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
Spanish:
distensión
— act or process of de-escalating a tense situation
