defuse: Meaning and Definition of

de•fuse

Pronunciation: (dē-fyz'), [key]
— v., -fused, -fus•ing.
—v.t.
  1. to remove the fuze from (a bomb, mine, etc.).
  2. to make less dangerous, tense, or embarrassing: to defuse a potentially ugly situation.
—v.i.
  1. to grow less dangerous; weaken.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: