Search the Dictionary

trating 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.

The act of penetrating between or within other substances; mutual penetration. Milman.

Quickness of perception or discernment; penetration of mind; the faculty of nice discrimination. Selden.

Lacking in perception or penetration; short-sighted; as, a blear- eyed bigot.

The measure or extant of one's capacity; depth, as of intellect; profundity; reach; penetration. [R.] Another of his fathom they have none To lead their business. Shak.

Power of acute observation and deduction; penetration; discernment; perception. Quickest insight In all things that to greatest actions lead. Milton.

Expressing penetration beyond the outside or surface, or access to the inside, or contents; as, to look into a letter or book; to look into an apartment.

To cause a promiscuous interpenetration of the parts of, as of two or more substances with each other, or of one substance with others; to unite or blend into one mass or compound, as by stirring together; to mingle; to blend; as, to mix flour and salt; to mix wines. Fair persuasions mixed with sugared words. Shak.…

ore than ordinarily severe. Those who ordinarily pride themselves not a little upon their penetration. I. Taylor.

to; to gain; to be advanced to. The best account of the appearances of nature which human penetration can reach, comes short of its reality. Cheyne.

pon surface of a solid (as the wall of the vacuum tube). Röntgen rays are noted for their penetration of many opaque substances, as wood and flesh, their action on photographic plates, and their fluorescent effects. They were called X rays by their discoverer, W. K. Röntgen. They also ionize gases, but cannot be reflec…

Hence, of quick intellectual perceptions; of keen penetration and judgment; discerning and judicious; knowing; far-sighted; shrewd; sage; wise; as, a sagacious man; a sagacious remark. Instinct . . . makes them, many times, sagacious above our apprehension. Dr. H. More. Only sagacious heads light on these observations,…

being sagacious; quickness or acuteness of sense perceptions; keenness of discernment or penetration with soundness of judgment; shrewdness. Some [brutes] show that nice sagacity of smell. Cowper. Natural sagacity improved by generous education. V. Knox.

The act of saturating, or the state of being saturating; complete penetration or impregnation.

g the constituent parts so compact, or so firmly adhering, as to resist the impression or penetration of other bodies; having a fixed form; hard; firm; compact; -- opposed to fluid and liquid or to plastic, like clay, or to incompact, like sand.

Penetration by worms; the state of being wormeaten.

Proof against penetration or permeation by water; impervious to water; as, a waterproof garment; a waterproof roof.