impregnate

1 of 2

verb

im·​preg·​nate im-ˈpreg-ˌnāt How to pronounce impregnate (audio)
ˈim-ˌpreg-
impregnated; impregnating

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause to be filled, imbued, permeated, or saturated
impregnate wood with varnish
b
: to permeate thoroughly
2
: to make pregnant : fertilize
impregnation noun
impregnator
im-ˈpreg-ˌnā-tər How to pronounce impregnate (audio)
ˈim-ˌpreg-
noun

impregnate

2 of 2

adjective

im·​preg·​nate im-ˈpreg-nət How to pronounce impregnate (audio)
: being filled or saturated
Choose the Right Synonym for impregnate

soak, saturate, drench, steep, impregnate mean to permeate or be permeated with a liquid.

soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing.

soak the garment in soapy water

saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

steep suggests either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the imparting of a quality (such as a color) to the thing immersed.

steep the tea for five minutes

impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another.

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

Examples of impregnate in a Sentence

Verb a cake impregnated with brandy impregnated the cloth with furniture polish
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
And there are squirt bottles filled with of creosote-preventing liquid, as well as logs and pellets (for pellet stoves) impregnated with these ingredients. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023 Berry gave birth to a daughter, and Lee said she was impregnated five times, but miscarried each one after being beaten by Castro. Diana Pearl, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2023 Their customs and legends are impregnated with magic. Holly Jones, Variety, 25 Sep. 2023 Then his estranged son (James Marsden) arrives at his doorstep having just killed the online predator who impregnated his underage daughter. Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023 Polanski now marries and impregnates a hot Texan blonde, Sharon Tate, and, while continuing to work abroad, plants Sharon in the exclusive preserve of 10050 Cielo Drive, Benedict Canyon. Matt Thompson, Spin, 10 Sep. 2023 To make its point, the agency cited Hacienda HealthCare’s struggle with negative publicity after a nurse was accused of raping and impregnating an incapacitated patient. Sahana Jayaraman, AZCentral.com, 27 June 2023 However, following reports that Jagger impregnated Brazilian model Luciana Morad, Hall went to file for divorce only to find out their nuptials were never legally binding. Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 26 July 2023 Further research found that the stillborn was a genetic match solely to its mother, meaning that the adult crocodile impregnated herself. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 9 June 2023
Adjective
The genetic material was thus less effective for artificial insemination procedures to impregnate female dogs. Kristin Lam, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2020 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Late Latin impraegnatus, past participle of impraegnare, from Latin in- + praegnas pregnant

First Known Use

Verb

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impregnate was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near impregnate

Cite this Entry

“Impregnate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impregnate. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

impregnate

verb
im·​preg·​nate
im-ˈpreg-ˌnāt
impregnated; impregnating
1
a
: to make pregnant
b
: to introduce sperm cells into
2
: to cause (a material) to be filled or soaked with something
impregnate wood with varnish
impregnation
(ˌ)im-ˌpreg-ˈnā-shən
noun
impregnator
im-ˈpreg-ˌnāt-ər
noun

Medical Definition

impregnate

transitive verb
im·​preg·​nate im-ˈpreg-ˌnāt, ˈim-ˌ How to pronounce impregnate (audio)
impregnated; impregnating
1
a
: to make pregnant
b
: to introduce sperm into : fertilize
2
: to cause to be filled, imbued, permeated, or saturated
gauze impregnated with white petrolatum
impregnation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on impregnate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!