penetrant
Americannoun
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a person or thing that penetrates.
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a compound that penetrates the skin, as a lotion or cream.
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a substance that lowers the surface tension of water; wetting agent.
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Zoology. a large nematocyst discharging a barbed thread that penetrates the body of the prey and injects a toxic fluid.
adjective
adjective
noun
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chem a substance that lowers the surface tension of a liquid and thus causes it to penetrate or be absorbed more easily
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a person or thing that penetrates
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of penetrant
1535–45; < Latin penetrant- (stem of penetrāns ), present participle of penetrāre to penetrate; see -ant
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It would give us a better sense of how penetrant the virus is in our communities,” said William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.
From Washington Times ● May 14, 2020
Only five per cent of disease-related gene mutations are fully penetrant, which means they guarantee the disease.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 17, 2019
Whole-brain radiation treatment – highly penetrant x-rays dosed directly through her skull – would also be used against leukaemia growth in her brain.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 17, 2011
This gas is 3. blistering penetrant, the effects of which last for a considerable length of time, owing to its slow evaporation.
From Time Magazine Archive
Then, suddenly he stood up, faced the Arab, and bent on him a sternly penetrant look.
From The Flying Legion by George Allan England
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
