impregnate

im·preg·nate | \ im-ˈpreg-ˌnāt

How to pronounce impregnate (audio)

, ˈim-ˌpreg-\

impregnated; impregnating

Definition of impregnate

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to cause to be filled, imbued, permeated, or saturated impregnate wood with varnish

b : to permeate thoroughly

2 : to make pregnant : fertilize

impregnate

im·preg·nate | \ im-ˈpreg-nət

How to pronounce impregnate (audio)

\

Definition of impregnate (Entry 2 of 2)

: being filled or saturated

Other Words from impregnate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about impregnate

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for impregnate

Verb

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 In 2013, investigators found imprisoned members of the Black Guerrilla Family gang enjoyed all the pleasures of freedom with help from the guards, four of whom were believed to be impregnated by inmates. — Phil Davis, baltimoresun.com, "Jessup prison employee, two others plead guilty to racketeering in drug smuggling scheme," 24 July 2019 Prosecutors painted a picture of a teen who was in a new relationship at the time and wanted nothing to do with the baby or the man who impregnated her. — CNN, "An Ohio woman who buried her newborn in the backyard is found not guilty of murder," 13 Sep. 2019 Since the hearings began in January, Jammeh has been linked to the deaths of more than 70 people, including political opponents, businessmen, a woman he is thought to have impregnated and a ship full of African migrants. — Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, "Gambia reels as it watches hit men confess to murder — and then walk free," 23 Aug. 2019 Could her mother have had a more extensive relationship with the man who impregnated her? — Julia M. Klein, chicagotribune.com, "'When I Was White’: Sarah Valentine’s memoir considers the meaning of racial identity," 14 Aug. 2019 Anni Manukyan herself was unsuccessfully impregnated twice and understands now that at least one of those embryos was not hers. — Doha Madani, NBC News, "Couple says fertility clinic that mixed up their embryos put them 'through living hell'," 10 July 2019 Fired from his corporate job, a man agrees to impregnate his ex-fiancee and a slew of lesbians for money. — Los Angeles Times, "Movies on TV this week Sept. 15, 2019: ‘Alien,’ ‘Aliens’ and more," 13 Sep. 2019 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, PEOPLE.com, "How Jayme Closs, Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Dugard and Others Survived Headline-Making Abductions," 19 Aug. 2019 Murphy said, referring to Nayeri’s high school friend who prosecutors said impregnated a prisoner while married with two children and working as a correctional officer. — Julia Sclafani, Daily Pilot, "Prosecution makes closing argument in trial of man accused in Newport Beach kidnapping and torture case," 7 Aug. 2019

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about impregnate

Dictionary Entries near impregnate

Statistics for impregnate

Last Updated

1 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for impregnate

The first known use of impregnate was in 1605

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for impregnate

impregnate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of impregnate

: to cause (a material) to be filled or soaked with something

technical : to make (a woman or a female animal) pregnant

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

impregnate

transitive verb

im·preg·nate | \ im-ˈpreg-ˌnāt, ˈim-ˌ

\

impregnated; impregnating

Medical Definition of impregnate

1a : to make pregnant

b : to introduce sperm into : fertilize

2 : to cause to be filled, imbued, permeated, or saturated gauze impregnated with white petrolatum

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

bruit

to spread as a report or rumor

Test Your Vocabulary

Confusing Words—A Quiz

I invented a brand new toaster robot and ______ it "Sir Toasts-a-Lot."

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.