permeate
Americanverb
-
to penetrate or pervade (a substance, area, etc)
a lovely smell permeated the room
-
to pass through or cause to pass through by osmosis or diffusion
to permeate a membrane
Usage
What does permeate mean? Permeate means to penetrate, pass through, and often become widespread throughout something. Similar words are pervade and saturate.Permeate can be used both in the context of the physical spread of something within a space and in more figurative ways. Dye permeates fabric. A smell can permeate a room. An idea can permeate someone’s mind.The adjective permeable means capable of being permeated, especially by liquids or gases, as in Permeable surfaces should be sealed to prevent leaks. The adjective permeating describes things that have permeated or have the ability to permeate, as in Social media has become a permeating aspect of our lives.Example: This material has a special coating that won’t allow anything to permeate its surface.
Other Word Forms
- interpermeate verb (used with object)
- nonpermeation noun
- nonpermeative adjective
- permeation noun
- permeative adjective
- permeator noun
- unpermeating adjective
- unpermeative adjective
Etymology
Origin of permeate
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin permeātus, past participle of permeāre “to pass through”; per-, meatus
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
