penetrate

penetrate
[[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 been ordered to shoot on sight anyone trying to penetrate the area.

Derived words:
penetration [[t]pe̱nɪtre͟ɪʃ(ə)n[/t]] plural N-UNCOUNT also N in pl

The exterior walls are three to three and a half feet thick to prevent penetration by bombs.

...moves designed to block enemy penetrations.

2) VERB If someone penetrates an organization, a group, or a profession, they succeed in entering it although it is difficult to do so.

[V n] ...the continuing failure of women to penetrate the higher levels of engineering...

[V n] The drugs industry is complex and hard to penetrate.

Syn:
3) VERB If someone penetrates an enemy group or a rival organization, they succeed in joining it in order to get information or cause trouble.

[V n] The CIA had requested our help to penetrate a drugs ring operating out of Munich...

[V n] The army was one of the few institutions the secret police were not encouraged to penetrate.

Syn:
Derived words:
penetration N-UNCOUNT with supp

...the successful penetration by the KGB of the French intelligence service.

4) VERB If a company or country penetrates a market or area, they succeed in selling their products there.

[V n] There have been around 15 attempts from outside France to penetrate the market.

Derived words:
penetration N-UNCOUNT with supp

...import penetration across a broad range of heavy industries.

5) VERB If you penetrate something that is difficult to understand, you succeed in understanding it. [FORMAL]

[V n] ...long answers that were often difficult to penetrate.

Syn:
grasp, fathom

English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • penetrate — 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

  • Penetrate — 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

  • penetrate — [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

  • penetrate — [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

  • penetrate — 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

  • penetrate — 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

  • penetrate — 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

  • penetrate — ► 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

  • penetrate */*/ — UK [ˈpenəˌtreɪt] / US verb Word forms penetrate : present tense I/you/we/they penetrate he/she/it penetrates present participle penetrating past tense penetrated past participle penetrated 1) a) [intransitive/transitive] to get inside an object… …   English dictionary

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