— infiltrative /in"fil tray'tiv, in fil"treuh-/ , adj. — infiltrator /in"fil tray'teuhr, in fil"tray-/ , n.
/in fil"trayt, in"fil trayt'/ , v. , infiltrated, infiltrating , n.
v.t.
1. to filter into or through; permeate.
2. to cause to pass in by filtering.
3. to move into (an organization, country, territory, or the like) surreptitiously and gradually, esp. with hostile intent: The troops infiltrated the enemy lines.
4. to pass a small number of (soldiers, spies, or the like) into a territory or organization clandestinely and with hostile or subversive intent: The intelligence agency infiltrated three spies into the neighboring country.
v.i.
5. to pass into or through a substance, place, etc., by or as by filtering.
6. Pathol. to penetrate tissue spaces or cells.
n.
7. something that infiltrates.
8. Pathol. any substance penetrating tissues or cells and forming a morbid accumulation.
[ 1750-60; IN- 2 + FILTRATE ]