permeate

English

Etymology

From Latin permeātus, participle of permeāre (“to pass through”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɜːmiˌeɪt/
• IPA^(key): /ˈpɝmiˌeɪ̯t/

Verb

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.
   • 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, William Shackleton, Shackleton's diaries January 4, 1922

     The old smell of dead whale permeates everything. It is a strange and curious place.

   • 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.

Translations

to pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass through without causing rupture or displacement

• Catalan: ^{(please verify)} impregnar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 滲透／渗透 (zh) (shèntòu), 渗透 (zh) (shèntòu)

• Czech: prosakovat impf, prolínat impf, pronikat (cs) impf
• French: s’infiltrer (fr), s’insinuer (fr)
• German: durchsickern (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 染み込む (しみこむ, shimikomu)
• Portuguese: permear (pt)
• Russian: проса́чиваться (ru) (prosáčivatʹsja), пропи́тывать (ru) (propítyvatʹ), прони́зывать (ru) (pronízyvatʹ), проника́ть (ru) (pronikátʹ)
• Spanish: percolar (es), permear (es)
• Swedish: genomtränga

to enter and spread through; to pervade

• Czech: pronikat (cs) impf, proniknout (cs) pf
• French: imprégner (fr)
• German: durchdringen (de), sich verbreiten (de)
• Portuguese: permear (pt)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: распространя́ться (ru) (rasprostranjátʹsja), проника́ть (ru) (pronikátʹ)
• Spanish: permear (es)
• Swedish: genomtränga

Noun

permeate

1. A watery by-product of milk production.
2. Liquid that has passed through a filtration system.

References

• “permeate”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “permeate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

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Italian

Verb

permeate

1. second-person plural present indicative of permeare
2. second-person plural imperative of permeare
3. feminine plural of permeato

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Latin

Verb

(deprecated template usage) permeāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of permeō