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penetrant

[ pen-i-truhnt ]
/ ˈpɛn ɪ trənt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR penetrant

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.

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Origin of penetrant

1535–45; <Latin penetrant- (stem of penetrāns), present participle of penetrāre to penetrate; see -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM penetrant

un·pen·e·trant, adjective

Words nearby penetrant

Penelope, peneplain, penetrable, penetralia, penetrance, penetrant, penetrant gene, penetrate, penetrating, penetrating wound, penetration
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to penetrant

trenchant, biting, piercing, clear-cut, pointed, crisp, cutting, shrill, edged, puncturing, permeating, entering, infiltrating, forcing, carrying, intrusive, pervasive, pungent, sharp, strong

Example sentences 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