impermeable

[ im-pur-mee-uh-buhl ]

/ ɪmˈpɜr mi ə bəl /

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See synonyms for: impermeable / impermeability on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not permeable; impassable.

Chemistry, Geology. (of porous substances, rocks, etc.) not permitting the passage of a fluid through the pores, interstices, etc.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of impermeable

From the Late Latin word impermeābilis, dating back to 1690–1700. See im-², permeable

OTHER WORDS FROM impermeable

im·per·me·a·bil·i·ty, im·per·me·a·ble·ness, nounim·per·me·a·bly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH impermeable

impermeable , impervious

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use impermeable in a sentence

Stadiums are empty or mostly empty, and some sports have bubbles and others just pretend their spheres are impermeable.
As thousands of athletes get coronavirus tests, nurses wonder: What about us?|Kent Babb|December 3, 2020|Washington Post
No one measure—not masks, not distance, not handwashing—is an impermeable barrier to transmission.
What You Need to Know About Wearing a Face Mask Outside|Joe Lindsey|September 30, 2020|Outside Online
Eventually, the seeping groundwater probably ran up against an impermeable barrier, which is bringing the swarm to a gradual halt.
Machine learning helped demystify a California earthquake swarm|Carolyn Gramling|June 18, 2020|Science News
The integrity and impermeability of this asphalt coat are quite as vital as constant saturation.
The Water Supply of the El Paso and Southwestern Railway from Carrizozo to Santa Rosa, N. Mex.|J. L. Campbell

It is only when in combination that it exhibits this impermeability to the obscure rays.
The Glaciers of the Alps|John Tyndall
The impermeability of plastic clay to water is a characteristic which is important for many purposes.
The Natural History of Clay|Alfred B. Searle
The fused portion fills the pores or interstices of the material, making—when cold—a ware of great strength and impermeability.
The Natural History of Clay|Alfred B. Searle
The construction of the dam is believed to guarantee its own practical impermeability.
The Panama Canal and its Makers|Vaughan Cornish

British Dictionary definitions for impermeable

impermeable

/ (ɪmˈpɜːmɪəbəl) /

adjective

(of a substance) not allowing the passage of a fluid through interstices; not permeable

Derived forms of impermeable

impermeability or impermeableness, nounimpermeably, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for impermeable

impermeable

[ ĭm-pûr′mē-ə-bəl ]

Relating to a material through which substances, such as liquids or gases, cannot pass. Some substances, such as some types of contact lenses, are permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid.

impermeable

Origin of impermeable

OTHER WORDS FROM impermeable

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH impermeable

Words related to impermeable

How to use impermeable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for impermeable

Derived forms of impermeable

Scientific definitions for impermeable