penetrant

1 of 2

adjective

pen·​e·​trant ˈpe-nə-trənt How to pronounce penetrant (audio)
1
2
of a gene : producing a phenotypic effect : exhibiting penetrance

penetrant

2 of 2

noun

: one that penetrates or is capable of penetrating

Examples of penetrant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In some cases these risk alleles are very penetrant, in that a particular state predicts with high likelihood a disease phenotype. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 29 May 2013 Through working with master jewelers to realize her penetrant vision, Lipton has created something that embodies much more than a fine jewelry collection. Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 7 Apr. 2021
Noun
Begin the processs by spraying the blade bolt with penetrant. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 17 Mar. 2023 If the bolt refuses to budge, stop and make a second application of penetrant. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 17 Mar. 2023 Under our model, the causal sites are both rare and relatively high-penetrant contributors to disease, and will therefore be unlikely to be detected in a small number of control samples. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 19 Jan. 2011 That created a pseudo-virus that would mimic 2019-nCoV’s cell-penetrant biology but leave out its ability to replicate and cause illness. Damian Garde, STAT, 5 Feb. 2020 Don’t Forget the Penetrant Always use a penetrant when backing out damaged screws in metal. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 8 Nov. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'penetrant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1734, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of penetrant was in 1543

Dictionary Entries Near penetrant

Cite this Entry

“Penetrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penetrant. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

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