Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To pass through the openings or interstices of.
  • intransitive verb To spread or flow throughout; pervade: synonym: imbue.
  • intransitive verb To spread through or penetrate something.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To pass into or through without rupture or displacement of parts; spread through and fill the openings, pores, and interstices of; hence, to saturate; pervade: as, water permeates sand; the air was permeated with smoke.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass through without causing rupture or displacement; -- applied especially to fluids which pass through substances of loose texture.
  • transitive verb To enter and spread through; to pervade.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass through without causing rupture or displacement; -- applied especially to fluids which pass through substances of loose texture; as, water permeates sand.
  • verb To enter and spread through; to pervade.
  • noun A watery by-product of milk production.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb pass through
  • verb penetrate mutually or be interlocked
  • verb spread or diffuse through

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin permeāre, permeāt-, to penetrate : per-, through; see per– + meāre, to pass; see mei- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin permeātus, participle of permeāre, meaning to pass through.

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Examples

  • The permeate is processed to remove the lactose, which is used to create ethanol.

    Using Lactose to Make Biofuel Steve Carper 2008

  • Quoting experts who have clear political biases, speculating about how one's theology would influence their public policy and poor use of important labels permeate the coverage of Palin.

    GetReligion 2008

  • Quoting experts who have clear political biases, speculating about how one's theology would influence their public policy and poor use of important labels permeate the coverage of Palin.

    GetReligion 2008

  • Metaphors permeate our emotional lives so deeply that "permeate" might be the wrong word; from one perspective, they're what those lives consist of, and bad ones land us in trouble.

    This column will change your life: Sealing off worries Oliver Burkeman 2010

  • Mr. GARZA: We have a big record collection, and you know, the sounds kind of permeate every corner of the globe.

    Thievery Corporation Churns Beats Of 'Retaliation' 2008

  • He encouraged the students to "permeate" themselves with "the full spirit of the age" if they hoped to give architecture "true art forms."

    Chicago Reader 2010

  • Does this act of hypocrisy "permeate" the red-state electorate?

    DailyHowler.com 2009

  • The feeling of loss is one that can easily permeate throughout all areas of your life.

    2009 April « Being En Pointe 2009

  • The feeling of loss is one that can easily permeate throughout all areas of your life.

    Turn up the Happiness! « Being En Pointe 2009

  • To create those noxious odors would mean it would be too intense at the source and permeate the whole valley, company project manager Mark Patton says.

    Calif. town battles overpowering odors 2011

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