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Wiktionary The Free Dictionary

permeate

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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First attested in 1656; borrowed from Latin permeātus , perfect passive participle of permeō ("to pass through"), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix).

Pronunciation

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This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA or enPR then please add some!
Particularly: "noun pronunciation?"

Verb

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permeate (third-person singular simple present permeates , present participle permeating , simple past and past participle permeated )

  1. (transitive ) 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
    water permeates sand
  2. (transitive ) To enter and spread through; to pervade.
    Synonyms: impregnate , perfuse
    Bright sunshine permeates the room on a sunny day.
    • 1854, Saint Anselm, translated by Sidney Norton Deane, Proslogium and Monologium/Monologium/Chapter 14
      ...it is clear that this Being itself, is what supports and surpasses, includes and permeates all other things.
    • 1906 April, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], "From the Cabby’s Seat", in The Four Million , New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co, →OCLC, page 165:
      In the fulness of time there was an eruption of the merry-makers to the sidewalk. The uninvited guests enveloped and permeated them, and upon the night air rose joyous cries, congratulations, laughter and unclassified noises born of McGary's oblations to the hymeneal scene.
    • 1922 January 4, William Shackleton, Shackleton's diaries:
      The old smell of dead whale permeates everything. It is a strange and curious place.
    • 1946 May and June, J. Alan Rannie, "The Midland of 35 Years Ago", in Railway Magazine, page 135:
      Also, much depended on an exceptional esprit de corps which permeated the whole staff, and achieved miracles of promptitude in such details as engine-changing and the marshalling of trains.
    • 2020 August 24, Kaori Enjoji, "‘Do or die’ mentality brings Japanese PM Shinzo Abe to the brink", in CNN ‎[1] , archived from the original on 23 May 2025:
      The do-or-die mentality gambaru permeates Japanese society, where the pursuit of a goal can carry more significance than the outcome.

Derived terms

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Translations

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to pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass through without causing rupture or displacement — see also percolate
to enter and spread through; to pervade

Noun

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permeate

  1. A watery by-product of milk production.
    (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  2. Liquid that has passed through a filtration system.
    (Can we add an example for this sense?)
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References

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Italian

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Etymology 1

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See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

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permeate

  1. inflection of permeare :
    1. second-person plural present indicative
    2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

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See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Participle

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permeate f pl

  1. feminine plural of permeato

Latin

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Verb

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permeāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of permeō

Spanish

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Verb

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permeate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of permear combined with te

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