permeate

verb

per·​me·​ate ˈpər-mē-ˌāt How to pronounce permeate (audio)
permeated; permeating

intransitive verb

: to diffuse through or penetrate something

transitive verb

1
: to spread or diffuse through
a room permeated with tobacco smoke
2
: to pass through the pores or interstices of
permeative adjective

Did you know?

It's no surprise that permeate means "to pass through something"—it was borrowed into English in the 17th century from Latin permeatus, which comes from the prefix per- ("through") and the verb meare, meaning "to go" or "to pass." Meare itself comes from an ancient root that may have also led to Middle Welsh and Czech words meaning "to go" and "to pass," respectively. Other descendants of meare in English include permeative, permeable, meatus ("a natural body passage"), and the relatively rare irremeable ("offering no possibility of return").

Examples of permeate in a Sentence

The water permeated the sand. The smell of baking bread permeated the kitchen. A feeling of anxiety permeated the office as we rushed to meet the deadline. The rain permeated through the soil.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And in his first game the theme of fun and playing for each other permeated the postgame locker room in a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers, who are suddenly becoming a contender for some kind of change. Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024 The characters are so alive, the writing restrained but lush, and the full breadth of humanity — complex, wonderful, broken, loving — permeates every page. Ilana Masad, Them, 25 Nov. 2024 This bath permeates all parts of the meat with salt, breaking down those proteins and infusing flavor throughout the turkey. Wes Siler, Outside Online, 25 Nov. 2024 More than 7,000 species of frogs hop, climb and perch around our world—which means more than 7,000 unique frog calls permeate our air. Olivia Ferrari, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for permeate 

Word History

Etymology

Latin permeatus, past participle of permeare, from per- through + meare to go, pass; akin to Middle Welsh mynet to go, Czech míjet to pass

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of permeate was in 1656

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Dictionary Entries Near permeate

Cite this Entry

“Permeate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/permeate. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

permeate

verb
per·​me·​ate ˈpər-mē-ˌāt How to pronounce permeate (audio)
permeated; permeating
1
: to spread throughout
a room permeated with the scent of flowers
2
: to pass through something which has pores or small openings or is of loose texture : seep through
water permeates sand
permeation
ˌpər-mē-ˈā-shən
noun

Medical Definition

permeate

verb
per·​me·​ate ˈpər-mē-ˌāt How to pronounce permeate (audio)
permeated; permeating

intransitive verb

: to diffuse through or penetrate something

transitive verb

: to pass through the pores or interstices of

More from Merriam-Webster on permeate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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