impermeable

adjective

im·per·me·able | \ (ˌ)im-ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl

Definition of impermeable

: not permitting passage (as of a fluid) through its substance broadly : impervious

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Examples of impermeable in a Sentence

an impermeable layer of rock a fabric impermeable to moisture

Recent Examples on the Web

The only viable solution seems to be facilities like Onkalo—deep underground bunkers carved from impermeable rock, in geologically stable zones, where the waste can be redundantly sealed and then permanently buried. — Tim Heffernan, Popular Mechanics, "Finland's Crazy Plan to Make Nuclear Waste Disappear," 10 May 2012 Waste will be sealed in the copper coffins, placed into the storage shafts, and surrounded by a thick layer of bentonite, a natural clay almost impermeable to water. — Tim Heffernan, Popular Mechanics, "Finland's Crazy Plan to Make Nuclear Waste Disappear," 10 May 2012 For storms like Harvey, changes in land use that come with urbanization, such as replacing permeable surfaces like grass with impermeable surfaces like concrete, can cause big changes in water runoff. — Kara Dapena, WSJ, "The Rising Costs of Hurricanes," 29 Sep. 2018 The thermal spring water and glycerin, a humectant that attracts water, in the formula work to instantly flood your skin with hydration, while the oil creates an impermeable barrier to lock it in. — Rachel Jacoby Zoldan, Glamour, "The No-Frills Face Cream That Tackles the Toughest Dry Spots," 27 Aug. 2018 Among those, Buczak said, are construction of a breakwater containing an impermeable structure that would do a better job of protecting the path by keeping the water out. — Blair Kamin, chicagotribune.com, "Northerly Island walkway still mangled and off-limits: Here's the story behind this engineering flop," 27 Apr. 2018 Outside of these areas, the membrane formed as usual, creating an impermeable barrier. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Alan Turing’s chemistry hypothesis turned into a desalination filter," 5 May 2018 Below that is a layer of impermeable clay, followed by a separate layer of saltwater. — Alan Gomez, USA TODAY, "Salmon from sunny South Florida? Norwegian firm builds Florida farm for cold-water fish," 11 Apr. 2018 Construction—laying down impermeable surfaces like concrete where there was once dirt or wetland—makes floods worse. — Adam Rogers, WIRED, "Hurricane Season 2018 Has a Lot to Learn From Last Year," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impermeable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Time Traveler for impermeable

The first known use of impermeable was in 1697

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More Definitions for impermeable

impermeable

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of impermeable

technical : not allowing something (such as a liquid) to pass through

See the full definition for impermeable in the English Language Learners Dictionary

impermeable

adjective

im·per·me·able | \ (ˈ)im-ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl

Medical Definition of impermeable

: not permitting passage (as of a fluid) through its substance the plasma membrane of a red blood cell is relatively impermeable to sodium and calcium ions

Other Words from impermeable

impermeability \ (ˌ)im-ˌpər-mē-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē

\ noun, plural impermeabilities

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