penetrate

  • 1Penetrate — Pen e*trate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Penetrated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Penetrating}.] [L. penetratus, p. p. of penetrare to penetrate; akin to penitus inward, inwardly, and perh. to pens with, in the power of, penus store of food, innermost part of a… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2penetrate — pen‧e‧trate [ˈpentreɪt] verb [transitive] MARKETING if a company penetrates a new market or area, it starts selling goods or services in that market or area: • The company has been struggling to penetrate the US market. * * * penetrate UK US… …

    Financial and business terms

  • 3Penetrate — Pen e*trate, v. i. To pass; to make way; to pierce. Also used figuratively. [1913 Webster] Preparing to penetrate to the north and west. J. R. Green. [1913 Webster] Born where Heaven s influence scarce can penetrate. Pope. [1913 Webster] The… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4penetrate — [pen′i trāt΄] vt. penetrated, penetrating [< L penetratus, pp. of penetrare, to pierce into, penetrate < base of penitus, inward, far within (< penus, store of food, storeroom, sanctuary of temple of Vesta < IE base * pen , to feed,… …

    English World dictionary

  • 5penetrate — [v1] pierce; get through physically access, barge in, bayonet, blow in, bore, break in, breeze in, bust in, charge, come, crack, diffuse, drill, drive, eat through, encroach, enter, filter in, force, get in, gore, go through, impale, infiltrate,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 6penetrate — I verb absorb, bore, break into, burst in upon, cut through, empierce, enter, erupt, fill, filter in, flow in, force a passage, give entrance to, go through, gore, imbrue, impale, impregnate, infiltrate, inflow, inject, insert, interfuse, lance,… …

    Law dictionary

  • 7penetrate — early 15c. (implied in penetrable), from L. penetratus, pp. of penetrare to put or get into, enter into, related to penitus within, inmost, penus innermost part of a temple, store of food, penates household gods. Related: Penetrated; penetrating …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 8penetrate — 1 *enter, pierce, probe Analogous words: invade, entrench, encroach, *trespass: *perforate, puncture, bore, prick 2 pervade, impenetrate, interpenetrate, *permeate, impregnate, saturate Analogous words: insert, insinuate, interpolate, introduce:… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 9penetrate — ► VERB 1) force a way into or through. 2) infiltrate (an enemy organization or a competitor s market). 3) understand or gain insight into. 4) (penetrating) (of a sound) clearly heard through or above other sounds. 5) (of a man) insert the penis… …

    English terms dictionary

  • 10penetrate — [[t]pe̱nɪtreɪt[/t]] penetrates, penetrating, penetrated 1) VERB If something or someone penetrates a physical object or an area, they succeed in getting into it or passing through it. [V n] X rays can penetrate many objects... [V n] His men had… …

    English dictionary