Definitions for: Penetrate


[v] become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions; "It dawned on him that she had betrayed him"; "she was penetrated with sorrow"
[v] come to understand
[v] pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance; "The bullet penetrated her chest"
[v] spread or diffuse through; "An atmosphere of distrust has permeated this administration"; "music penetrated the entire building"
[v] insert the penis into the vagina or anus of; "Did the molester penetrate the child?"
[v] make one's way deeper into ar through; "The hikers did not manage to penetrate the dense forest"
[v] enter a group or organization in order to spy on the members; "The student organization was infiltrated by a traitor"



Webster (1913) Definition: Pen"e*trate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Penetrated; p.
pr. & vb. n. Penetrating.] [L. penetratus, p. p. of
penetrare to penetrate; akin to penitus inward, inwardly, and
perh. to pens with, in the power of, penus store of food,
innermost part of a temple.]
1. To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to effect
an entrance into; to pierce; as, light penetrates
darkness.

2. To affect profoundly through the senses or feelings; to
touch with feeling; to make sensible; to move deeply; as,
to penetrate one's heart with pity. --Shak.

The translator of Homer should penetrate himself
with a sense of the plainness and directness of
Homer's style. --M. Arnold.

3. To pierce into by the mind; to arrive at the inner
contents or meaning of, as of a mysterious or difficult
subject; to comprehend; to understand.

Things which here were too subtile for us to
penetrate. --Ray.


Pen"e*trate, v. i.
To pass; to make way; to pierce. Also used figuratively.

Preparing to penetrate to the north and west. --J. R.
Green.

Born where Heaven's influence scarce can penetrate.
--Pope.

The sweet of life that penetrates so near. --Daniel.

Synonyms: bottom, click, come home, dawn, fall into place, fathom, get across, get through, infiltrate, perforate, sink in

See Also: advance, break, come in, creep in, cut, diffuse, dig into, enter, fall in, filter, foray, force, get in, get into, get together, go in, go into, go on, grain, honeycomb, imbue, immerse, infix, ingrain, insert, interpenetrate, introduce, join, march on, move into, move on, ooze through, pass on, penetrate, percolate, permeate, pervade, pierce, plunge, poke into, probe, progress, sink in, sneak in, spiritise, spiritize, storm, strike, thrust, tunnel, understand

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