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penetrant

[ pen-i-truh nt ]
/ ˈpɛn ɪ trənt /
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noun

a person or thing that penetrates.
a compound that penetrates the skin, as a lotion or cream.
a substance that lowers the surface tension of water; wetting agent.
Zoology. a large nematocyst discharging a barbed thread that penetrates the body of the prey and injects a toxic fluid.

adjective

penetrating.

RELATED WORDS

trenchant, biting, piercing, clear-cut, pointed, crisp, cutting, shrill, carrying, intrusive, pervasive, pungent, sharp, strong, ingoing

Nearby words

penelope, peneplain, penetrable, penetralia, penetrance, penetrant, penetrant gene, penetrate, penetrating, penetrating wound, penetration

Origin of penetrant

1535–45; < Latin penetrant- (stem of penetrāns), present participle of penetrāre to penetrate; see -ant
Related formsun·pen·e·trant, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for penetrant

British Dictionary definitions for penetrant

penetrant

/ (ˈpɛnɪtrənt) /

adjective

sharp; penetrating

noun

chem a substance that lowers the surface tension of a liquid and thus causes it to penetrate or be absorbed more easily
a person or thing that penetrates
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