ˈpenə.trāt, usu -ād.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Latin penetratus, past participle of penetrare to penetrate; akin to Latin penitus inward, inwardly, penes with, in the possession of, penus food provisions, innermost part of a house, Penates household gods, Lithuanian peneti to nourish, fatten and perhaps to Gothic fenea pearl barley
transitive verb
1.
a. : to pass into or through:
(1) : to extend into the interior of
this route … penetrates the leading resort and lake areas — American Guide Series: Minnesota
(2) : to enter or go through by overcoming resistance
nails … of sufficient length to pass through the insulation and penetrate the roof boards at least 3/4 of an inch — P.D.Close
it required a long time for an idea to penetrate the heads of this stubborn people — V.G.Heiser
: pierce
the salt rain driven by the wind penetrates the thickest coat — Richard Jefferies
a smooth voice that penetrated the mighty vibrations of the falls — C.G.D.Roberts
the doctor's words of encouragement finally penetrated my despair — Herbert King
(3) : to gain entrance to
an apartment I now penetrated for the first time — Osbert Lancaster
youngsters under 21 who, 10 years ago, could never have penetrated the underworld circles where they now circulate freely — D.W.Maurer & V.H.Vogel
b. : to see into or through
their keen eyes can penetrate the water to a depth of … forty feet — L.K.Porritt
c. : to insert the penis into the vagina of in copulation
2.
a. : to pierce into with the mind : discover the inner contents or meaning of
a scientific secret which will eventually be penetrated by other countries — Vera M. Dean
: perceive or recognize the precise nature of
penetrate his disguise and expose his true identity
: understand , fathom
the seer who penetrates the underlying principles of men and things — C.H.Grandgent
b. : to affect profoundly through the senses or feelings : touch with feeling : move deeply
men may still be penetrated with awe by the divine righteousness — R.W.Dale
3.
a. : to diffuse through : permeate
the cold began to penetrate his bones — E.K.Gann
corruption penetrated … the country's mercantile class — T.E.Ennis
: infiltrate
the Communist plan to penetrate political parties and unions
b. : to cause to be diffused (as with a feeling) : imbue , steep
choose a fitting action, penetrate yourself with the feeling of its situations — Matthew Arnold
intransitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to pass, extend, pierce, or diffuse into or through something
fishes … which enter tidal rivers and penetrate almost to fresh water — J.L.B.Smith
fjords … penetrate more than 300 kilometers inland — Valter Schytt
an acid that penetrates into the tissues
time for the news to penetrate to all the distant country places — Mary Austin
(2) : to get (as by force or resolution) past an obstacle or boundary
penetrated … beyond the Rhine, the Alps, and the Pyrenees — Alfred Cobban
circumnavigated the southern ice region …, penetrating beyond lat. 67 S. — Encyc. Americana
(3) : to gain admittance (as to an exclusive group)
women who penetrate to the upper levels of the bureaucracy
secret Communist agents had penetrated into high government circles — T.R.Fyvel
b. : to pierce something with the eye or mind : see or enable to see into or through something hidden or obscure
strained his eyes to penetrate beyond the thick cloud of dust
a telescope that penetrates to the remote parts of the universe
insight that penetrates to the very heart of some … problem — W.F.Hambly
2. : to affect deeply the senses or feelings
the suggestion might penetrate deeply enough … to make her a good deal more wary — H.A.Overstreet
Synonyms: see enter , permeate