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penetrate
[ pen-i-treyt ]
verb (used with object)
- to pierce or pass into or through:
The bullet penetrated the wall. The fog lights penetrated the mist.
- to enter the interior of:
to penetrate a forest.
- to enter and diffuse itself through; permeate.
- to arrive at the truth or meaning of; understand; comprehend:
to penetrate a mystery.
- to obtain a share of (a market):
to penetrate the Canadian coffee market.
- to affect or impress (the mind or feelings) deeply.
Synonyms: touch
- to extend influence, usually peacefully, into the affairs of (another country).
verb (used without object)
- to enter, reach, or pass through something, as by piercing:
We penetrated to the interior of the Kasbah.
- to be diffused through something.
- to understand or read the meaning of something.
- to have a deep effect or impact on someone.
penetrate
/ ˈpɛnɪˌtreɪt /
verb
- to find or force a way into or through (something); pierce; enter
- to diffuse through (a substance); permeate
- tr to see through
their eyes could not penetrate the fog
- tr (of a man) to insert the penis into the vagina of (a woman)
- tr to grasp the meaning of (a principle, etc)
- intr to be understood
his face lit up as the new idea penetrated
Derived Forms
- ˈpenetrably, adverb
- ˈpenetrative, adjective
- ˈpenetrable, adjective
- ˈpeneˌtrator, noun
- ˌpenetraˈbility, noun
Other Words From
- pene·trator noun
- pre·pene·trate verb (used with object) prepenetrated prepenetrating
- un·pene·trated adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of penetrate1
Word History and Origins
Origin of penetrate1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
After surveying the city-owned portion of the peninsula, Cabrera Services found 10 areas with elevated levels of gamma radiation — powerful electromagnetic energy that can penetrate human tissue and damage cells.
Not long before she took the stand, the last of the 50 defendants, Philippe L, said he had been "surprised" by the situation when Dominique Pelicot had welcomed him into his home and insisted that he penetrate Gisèle Pelicot.
These early Aboriginal communities used fire to penetrate and modify dense, wet forest for their own use -- as indicated by a sudden increase in charcoal accumulated in ancient mud 41,600 years ago.
This is because fine particles can penetrate through lungs and affect organs.
“The abortion argument did not penetrate at all with non-college educated women, did not move them an inch. And they lost ground with Latinos,” Mr Smith said.
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