Word of the Day

: September 22, 2010

permeable

adjective PER-mee-uh-bul

What It Means

: capable of being permeated : penetrable; especially : having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through

permeable in Context

The best workout clothes are those made of permeable fabrics that allow body heat to escape.

"The county is under a federal consent order to stop the overflows using green infrastructure, such as rain barrels and permeable pavement, rather than build expensive sewage storage facilities." -- From The Post Standard (Syracuse, NY), September 7, 2010

Did You Know?

Synonyms "permeable" and "pervious" both make good use of the Latin prefix "per-," meaning "through" "Permeate" traces back to a combination of "per-" and the Latin verb "meare," meaning "to go" or "to pass," whereas the history of "pervious" calls upon Latin "via," meaning "way." Both "permeable" and its more common relative, the verb "permeate," still retain the original Latin idea of "passing through." The prefix "per-" also gave English "pervade," meaning "to become diffused throughout every part of." "Meare" also has other English descendants, including "congé," which can mean "a formal permission to depart," and "irremeable," meaning "offering no possibility of return."

Quick Quiz: What synonym of "permeable" rhymes with "Doris"? The answer is...