PERMEATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does permeate mean? 

• PERMEATE (verb)
  The verb PERMEATE has 3 senses:

1. spread or diffuse through

2. pass through

3. penetrate mutually or be interlocked

  Familiarity information: PERMEATE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PERMEATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they permeate    ... he / she / it permeates   
Past simple: permeated   
Past participle: permeated   
-ing form: permeating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Spread or diffuse through

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

diffuse; imbue; interpenetrate; penetrate; permeate; pervade; riddle

Context example:

His campaign was riddled with accusations and personal attacks

Hypernyms (to "permeate" is one way to...):

penetrate; perforate (pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "permeate"):

spiritise; spiritize (imbue with a spirit)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

permeant (spreading or spread throughout)

permeation (mutual penetration; diffusion of each through the other)

permeation (the process of permeating or infusing something with a substance)

permeative (spreading or spread throughout)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Pass through

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

filter; percolate; permeate; sink in

Context example:

Water permeates sand easily

Hypernyms (to "permeate" is one way to...):

penetrate; perforate (pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "permeate"):

infiltrate (pass into or through by filtering or permeating)

infiltrate (cause (a liquid) to enter by penetrating the interstices)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

permeant (spreading or spread throughout)

permeation (the process of permeating or infusing something with a substance)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Penetrate mutually or be interlocked

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

interpenetrate; permeate

Context example:

The territories of two married people interpenetrate a lot

Hypernyms (to "permeate" is one way to...):

penetrate; perforate (pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "permeate"):

invade (penetrate or assault, in a harmful or injurious way)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

permeation (mutual penetration; diffusion of each through the other)

permeation (the process of permeating or infusing something with a substance)

 Context examples 

Testing the device for the presence of unwanted agents (e.g. pyrogens) caused by materials that permeate through the device.

(Device Material or Material Leachate Pyrogenic Testing Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

The undesirable presence of pyrogens or fever-producing organisms caused by materials that permeate through the device.

(Device Material or Material Leachate Pyrogenic Problem Evaluation Result, Food and Drug Administration)

The diffuse red glow permeating this image comes from the emission of hydrogen gas, while the shimmering blue light is caused by reflection and scattering off small dust particles.

(Stellar Nursery Blooms into View, ESO)

Upon ingestion, water permeates the core and the ingredient is dissolved and released.

(Osmotic Laser Drilled Tablet Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

Water permeates through the membrane to the core to dissolve the ingredient(s) which subsequently exit the membrane at a rate determined by their solubility and the thickness and porosity of the membrane.

(Diffusion Controlled Extended Release Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

When the outflowing gas collides with previously ejected gas from other stars, the collisions produce shock waves, similar to sonic booms, which permeate the area.

(Scientists Take Viewers to the Center of the Milky Way, NASA)

This new analysis also shows that these stars were the only sources needed to clear the "opaque fog" that permeated the early universe.

(First Stars Formed Later Than We Thought, NASA)

They then filled the middle of the donut with the collagen-based gel, which subsequently permeated the scaffold.

(Bioengineers create functional 3D brain-like tissue, NIH)

Root planing is the definitive procedure designed for the removal of cementum and dentin that is rough, and/or permeated by calculus or contaminated with toxins or microorganisms.

(Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing, NCI Thesaurus)

Because telescopes cannot see them, though, astronomers have been hunting for indirect evidence, such as a tell-tale change in the background electromagnetic radiation that permeates the universe, called the cosmic microwave background (CMB).

(Astronomers detect ancient signal from first stars in universe, National Science Foundation)