Library / English Dictionary

PERMEATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Penetrate mutually or be interlocked

Example:

The territories of two married people interpenetrate a lot

Synonyms:

interpenetrate; permeate

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

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)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Spread or diffuse through

Example:

His campaign was riddled with accusations and personal attacks

Synonyms:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

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 3

Meaning:

Pass through

Example:

Water permeates sand easily

Synonyms:

filter; percolate; permeate; sink in

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

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)

Credits

 Context examples: 

The bar is in full swing and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside until the air is alive with chatter and laughter and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other's names.

(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)