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permeate

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Permeate is defined as to get into, soak into or spread throughout.

(verb)

An example of permeate is when you smell baking cookies everywhere in the house.

See permeate in Webster's New World College Dictionary

to pass into or through and affect every part of; penetrate and spread through: ink permeates blotting paper; a society that is permeated with idealism

Origin: < L permeatus, pp. of permeare < per, through + meare, to glide, flow, pass < IE base *mei-, to go, change, wander > Czech mijeti, to pass by

intransitive verb

to spread or diffuse; penetrate: with through or among

Related Forms:

permeation noun
permeative adjective

See permeate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb per·me·at·ed, per·me·at·ing, per·me·ates

verb, transitive

To spread or flow throughout; pervade: “Our thinking is permeated by our historical myths” (Freeman J. Dyson). See Synonyms at charge.
To pass through the openings or interstices of: liquid permeating a membrane.

verb, intransitive

To spread through or penetrate something.

Origin:

Origin: Latin permeāre, permeāt-, to penetrate

Origin: : per-, through; see per-

Origin: + meāre, to pass; see mei-¹ in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: