1
a
: possessing or full of pores
b
: containing vessels
hardwood is porous
2
a
: permeable to fluids
b
: permeable to outside influences
3
: capable of being penetrated
porous national boundaries
porously
adverb
porousness
noun
Examples of porous in a Sentence
The country has a porous border.
a cleaner that should not be used on porous surfaces
Recent Examples on the Web
Human memory is a curious thing — variable, porous and tenacious.
—
A.o. Scott, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The porous nature of the ceramic planter means more moisture and air can get through, which sustains the soil’s humidity levels.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2025
The location of the magma cap, which was later determined through modeling to be made of silicate melt and supercritical water bubbles within a porous rock, was first determined via a high-resolution seismic survey conducted by Schmandt.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
The researchers modeled various rock, melt and volatile conditions to determine what materials the magma cap consists of -- a mixture of silicate melt and supercritical water bubbles within porous rock.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for porous
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A.o. Scott, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The porous nature of the ceramic planter means more moisture and air can get through, which sustains the soil’s humidity levels.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2025
The location of the magma cap, which was later determined through modeling to be made of silicate melt and supercritical water bubbles within a porous rock, was first determined via a high-resolution seismic survey conducted by Schmandt.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
The researchers modeled various rock, melt and volatile conditions to determine what materials the magma cap consists of -- a mixture of silicate melt and supercritical water bubbles within porous rock.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for porous
Cite this Entry
“Porous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/porous. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
porous
adjective
po·rous
ˈpōr-əs 
ˈpȯr-
1
: full of pores
2
: capable of absorbing liquids
Medical Definition
porous
adjective
po·rous
ˈpōr-əs, ˈpȯr-
1
: possessing or full of pores
porous bones
2
: permeable to fluids
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