penetrate

Primary Information

Secondary Information

Definition

Penetrate means to go through or into something.

For example, a needle can penetrate the skin. Or, light can penetrate a window.

How can the word be used?

The rain penetrated the roof, causing a leak.

Different forms of the word

Noun:

penetration (the act of penetrating something).
penetrant (something that penetrates).

Verb:

to enter or pass into something.
to pierce or make a hole in something.
to understand something deeply.
to affect something deeply.

Etymology

The word "penetrate" is derived from the Latin word "penetrare", which means "to pierce". The first recorded use of the word "penetrate" in English was in the 14th century.

Question

What does penetrate mean?