PERMEATE

interpenetrate, permeate

(verb) penetrate mutually or be interlocked; “The territories of two married people interpenetrate a lot”

permeate, pervade, penetrate, interpenetrate, diffuse, imbue, riddle

(verb) spread or diffuse through; “An atmosphere of distrust has permeated this administration”; “music penetrated the entire building”; “His campaign was riddled with accusations and personal attacks”

percolate, sink in, permeate, filter

(verb) pass through; “Water permeates sand easily”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

permeate (third-person singular simple present permeates, present participle permeating, simple past and past participle permeated)

(transitive) To pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass through without causing rupture or displacement; applied especially to fluids which pass through substances of loose texture

(transitive) To enter and spread through; to pervade.

Noun

permeate

A watery by-product of milk production.

Liquid that has passed through a filtration system.

Source: Wiktionary


Per"me*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Permeated; p. pr. & vb. n. Permeating.] Etym: [L. permeatus, p.p. of permeare to permeate; per + meare to go, pass.]

1. To pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass through without causing rupture or displacement; -- applied especially to fluids which pass through substances of loose texture; as, water permeates sand. Woodward.

2. To enter and spread through; to pervade. God was conceived to be diffused throughout the whole world, to permeate and pervade all things. Cudworth.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

3 May 2025

DESIRABLE

(adjective) worth having or seeking or achieving; “a desirable job”; “computer with many desirable features”; “a desirable outcome”


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans, the seeds of berries from certain Coffea species. When coffee berries turn from green to bright red – indicating ripeness – they are picked, processed, and dried. Dried coffee seeds are roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor.

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