penetrate

present singular third person penetrates · participle present penetrating · participle past penetrated · past penetrated

1. To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to pierce.

   Light penetrates darkness.

   5 more examples

   He takes the prepared charcoal used by artists, brings it to a white heat, and suddenly plunges it in a bath of mercury, of which the globules instantly penetrate the pores of charcoal, and may be said to metallize it.

   1879, Th Du Moncel, The Telephone, the Microphone and the Phonograph, Harper, page 166

   The native-born and the "naturalised" locomotives have been giving way to the standardised types, of which the L.M.S.R. class "5" 4-6-0 has led the way and has penetrated the furthest.

   1958 July 28, J. P. Wilson, “Scottish Soliloquy”, in Railway Magazine, page 495

   Considerable interest has developed within the defense community during recent years in weapons that are capable of penetrating some distance into the earth before detonating. […] To be generally effective, earth penetrating weapons (EPW) must be capable of penetrating various geologic targets, ranging from soil to rock, without producing critical damage to the payload.

   1978 November, H. E. Read [et al.], “Preface”, in CAPRI: A Two-dimensional Eulerian Code for Analyzing the Impact of Highly Deformable Projectiles into Rock: Final Report for Period 15 November 1975 – 30 September 1976 (DNA 4751F), Washington, D.C.: Defense Nuclear Agency, →OCLC, page 7

   and they, ... they .... fly though space, and they penetrate the atmosphere[…]after an amazing nine-month journey

   2013, Space Babies

   Our results also identified the causative mutation of polydactylous Silkie was not exist in other nonpolydactyly chickens, suggesting that SNP of polydactyly in Silkie has fully penetrated all other indigenous Chinese chicken breeds.

   2016 February 10, “Parallel Evolution of Polydactyly Traits in Chinese and European Chickens”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI

   Synonyms: ransack

2. figurativelyTo achieve understanding of, despite some obstacle; to comprehend; to understand.

   I could not penetrate Burke's opaque rhetoric.

   1 more example

   things which here were […]too subtile for us to penetrate

   1691, John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […], →OCLC

3. To affect profoundly through the senses or feelings; to move deeply.

   to penetrate one's heart with pity

   2 more examples

   The translator of Homer should penetrate himself with a sense of the plainness and directness of Homer's style.

   1867, Matthew Arnold, On the Study of Celtic Literature

   I am advised to give her music o' mornings; they say it will penetrate

   1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]

4. To infiltrate an enemy to gather intelligence.
5. To insert the penis into an orifice, such as a vagina, mouth, or anus.

   a male elephant comes up and penetrates the female

   2 more examples

   A person (A) commits an offence if— (a) he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person (B) with his penis, (b) B does not consent to the penetration, and (c) A does not reasonably believe that B consents.

   2003, Parliament of the United Kingdom, “Part I, section 1(1)”, in Sexual Offences Act 2003ᵂⁱᵏⁱˢᵒᵘʳᶜᵉ, page 1

   His weapons have been destroyed; his body has been or can be penetrated. In other words, he is rapable.

   2005, Patricia Vettel-Becker, Shooting from the hip: photography, masculinity, and postwar America

6. board gamesTo move a piece past the defending pieces of one's opponent.