English Dictionary: penetrate | by the DICT Development Group |
3 results for penetrate | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
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From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Penetrate \Pen"e*trate\, v. i. To pass; to make way; to pierce. Also used figuratively. Preparing to penetrate to the north and west. --J. R. Green. Born where Heaven's influence scarce can penetrate. --Pope. The sweet of life that penetrates so near. --Daniel. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Penetrate \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 temple.] 1. To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to effect an entrance into; to pierce; as, light penetrates darkness. 2. To affect profoundly through the senses or feelings; to touch with feeling; to make sensible; to move deeply; as, to penetrate one's heart with pity. --Shak. The translator of Homer should penetrate himself with a sense of the plainness and directness of Homer's style. --M. Arnold. 3. To pierce into by the mind; to arrive at the inner contents or meaning of, as of a mysterious or difficult subject; to comprehend; to understand. Things which here were too subtile for us to penetrate. --Ray. |