verb
penetrate
PEH-niht-rayt
verb
1
To make a way into or through something; to pierce or pass into the interior of something.
"The knife penetrated only a few millimeters into the wood."
"Sunlight barely penetrated the thick jungle canopy."
2
To come to understand something fully despite difficulty; to see through to the truth of it.
"It took years for historians to penetrate the mystery surrounding his death."
How to Use Penetrate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo physically pass into or through something, or to fully understand something difficult.
Common pairings
penetrate the market
penetrate enemy lines
Word Forms
penetrated past tense, penetrates singular
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Etymology
From Latin penetrare ("to enter deeply into, pierce"), from penes ("within").