penetrant

1 of 2

adjective

pen·​e·​trant ˈpe-nə-trənt 

1

: penetrating

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

If there are larger, more penetrant rust stains, begin at step one with an overnight soak or consider using method 2. — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2025

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

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

Noun

How To Improve Your Soil's Moisture Retention A short-term solution for small areas or containers with hydrophobic soil is a commercial wetting agent, often called water retainers or penetrants. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026

Mansfield recommends Sea Foam Deep Creep penetrant. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 15 Jan. 2026

An American Airlines worker sprays florescent penetrant on engine components to check for defects at a hangar in Tulsa, Oklahoma. — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024

Begin the processs by spraying the blade bolt with penetrant. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 17 Mar. 2023

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

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

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1734, in the meaning defined above