porous

[pawr-uhs, pohr-]

adjective

1. full of pores.

2. permeable by water, air, etc.

   Synonyms: riddled, sievelike, pervious, penetrable

porous

/ ˈpɔːrəs /

adjective

1. permeable to water, air, or other fluids

2. biology geology having pores; poriferous

3. easy to cross or penetrate

   the porous border into Thailand

   the most porous defence in the league

porous

1. Having many pores or other small spaces that can hold a gas or liquid or allow it to pass through.

Other Word Forms

• porously adverb
• porousness noun
• nonporous adjective
• nonporousness noun
• unporous adjective
• unporousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of porous¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, variant of porose, from Medieval Latin porōsus; pore ², -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of porous¹

C14: from Medieval Latin porōsus, from Late Latin porus _pore ²

Example Sentences

The heist shocked France and turned a spotlight on the porous security system of the Louvre and other museums across the country that have become the target of an increasing number of robberies.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The compilation accords dignity to the field and underscores the porous boundary between commercial and fine art.

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Syria is no longer the supply hub of the Iranian proxy axis, but some Iranian arms smuggling—destabilizing to Lebanon, Jordan and the West Bank—continues via Syria’s porous borders.

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Lab work revealed that, upon exposure to a flame, one of the gels he was working on bubbled up to form a porous aerogel structure within it that is highly protective against fire.

Read more on BBC

The auditor released its 153-page report after a team of thieves used low-tech methods to break into the museum last month and steal France’s crown jewels, drawing attention to the Louvre’s porous security.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal