I. ˈfyüzhən noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Latin fusion-, fusio, from fusus (past participle of fundere to pour, melt) + -ion- -io -ion — more at found
1.
a. : the act or process of liquefying or rendering plastic by heat : transition of a substance from a solid to a liquid : melting
welds accompanied by fusion are by far the most common — Welding Handbook
b. : the quality or state of flowing induced by this process
that degree of heat must be employed which will give perfect fusion to the glaze — G.R.Porter
2. : a union by or as if by melting: as
a. : a merging of diverse elements into a unified whole : synthesis
opera is the fusion of five arts into a composite whole — Warwick Braithwaite
specifically : the blending of retinal images in binocular vision
b. : a combination of ingredients achieved by heating and mixing together
cement is a fusion formed from exact proportions of shale and limestone — E.S.Perry
c. : a political partnership : coalition
a fusion of Democrats and independent Republicans — New York Times
elected on a fusion ticket — F.H.LaGuardia
d.
(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 — contrasted with flicker ; see critical flicker frequency
e. : a coalescence into a solid unit : welding ; specifically : the surgical immobilization of a joint
spinal fusion
f. : coalescence between root and affix in a language (as in Latin pēs “foot” from assumed earlier peds with the root ped- and the nominative singular ending -s ) — compare inflectional
g. : the union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous quantities of energy when certain light elements unite (as in the combination of heavy-hydrogen nuclei to form helium nuclei that takes place in the sun or in a hydrogen bomb) — called also nuclear fusion ; contrasted with fission
II. noun
: popular music combining different styles (as jazz and rock)