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Capable of being penetrated, entered, or pierced. Used also figuratively. And pierce his only penetrable part. Dryden. I am not made of stones, But penetrable to your kind entreats. Shak. -- Pen"e*tra*ble*ness, n. -- Pen"e*tra*bly, adv.

The quality or state of being penetrant; power of entering or piercing; penetrating power of quality; as, the penetrancy of subtile effluvia.

Having power to enter or pierce; penetrating; sharp; subtile; as, penetrant cold. "Penetrant and powerful arguments." Boyle.

To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to effect an entrance into; to pierce; as, light penetrates darkness.

Having the power of entering, piercing, or pervading; sharp; subtile; penetrative; as, a penetrating odor.

The act or process of penetrating, piercing, or entering; also, the act of mentally penetrating into, or comprehending, anything difficult. And to each in ward part, With gentle penetration, though unseen, Shoots invisible virtue even to the deep. Milton. A penetration into the difficulties of algebra. Watts.…

Tending to penetrate; of a penetrating quality; piercing; as, the penetrative sun. His look became keen and penetrative. Hawthorne.

To pierce. [Obs.] Chaucer.

To bore through; to pierce through with a pointed instrument; to make a hole or holes through by boring or piercing; to pierce or penetrate the surface of. Bacon.

Pierced with a hole or holes, or with pores; having transparent dots resembling holes.

The act of perforating, or of boring or piercing through. Bacon.

Having power to perforate or pierce.

Piercing. [Obs.] Spenser.

Open; evident; apert. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

Pierced at the apex.

Punched; pierced with, or having, holes.

The act of punching or piercing with a pointed instrument; as, pertusion of a vein. [R.] Arbuthnot.

An organ stop, with a high, piercing tone.

h its beak; to strike at with anything pointed; to act upon with a pointed instrument; to pierce; to prick, as with a pin.

ted at the middle; a hammer with a flattened end for driving wedges and a pointed end for piercing as it strikes. Shak.