Alexander Dyce, A General Glossary to Shakespeare's Works

diffused wild, irregular, extravagant: “some diffused song,” THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, iv. 4. 53 ; “diffused attire,” HENRY V., v. 2. 61 ; “diffus'd infection of a man” RICHARD III., i. 2. 78. ( “I believe diffus'd in this place signifies irregular, uncouth,” JOHNSON ; ( “defused,” Cambridge ) “diffus'd infection of a man may mean, ‘thou that art as dangerous as a pestilence that infects the air by its diffusion,’” STEEVENS . The Cambridge reading of defused is explained by Schmidt as meaning shapeless). ( “He that marketh our follies in being passing humorous for the choyse of apparell, shall finde Ouids confused chaos to affoord a multitude of defused inuentions.” Greene's Farewell to Follie, sig. C 2 verso, ed. 1617. )