penetrate: Meaning and Definition of

pen•e•trate

Pronunciation: (pen'i-trāt"), [key]
— v., -trat•ed, -trat•ing.
—v.t.
  1. to pierce or pass into or through: The bullet penetrated the wall. The fog lights penetrated the mist.
  2. to enter the interior of: to penetrate a forest.
  3. to enter and diffuse itself through; permeate.
  4. to arrive at the truth or meaning of; understand; comprehend: to penetrate a mystery.
  5. to obtain a share of (a market): to penetrate the Canadian coffee market.
  6. to affect or impress (the mind or feelings) deeply.
  7. to extend influence, usually peacefully, into the affairs of (another country).
—v.i.
  1. to enter, reach, or pass through something, as by piercing: We penetrated to the interior of the Kasbah.
  2. to be diffused through something.
  3. to understand or read the meaning of something.
  4. to have a deep effect or impact on someone.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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