penetrant
[
pen
-i-tr
uh
nt]
/ˈpɛn ɪ trənt/
noun
1.
a person or thing that penetrates.
2.
a compound that penetrates the skin, as a lotion or cream.
3.
a substance that lowers the surface tension of water; wetting agent.
4.
Zoology.
a large nematocyst discharging a barbed thread that penetrates the body of the prey and injects a toxic fluid.
adjective
5.
penetrating
.
Origin
1535-45;
<
Latin
penetrant-
(stem of
penetrāns
), present participle of
penetrāre
to
penetrate
; see
-ant
Related forms
unpenetrant,
adjective
Examples from the web for
penetrant
When the
penetrant
is removed from the surface, some of it remains entrapped in the discontinuities.
If the phenotype is always expressed in the presence of the genotype, the genotype is completely
penetrant
.
British Dictionary definitions for
penetrant
penetrant
/
ˈpɛnɪtrənt
/
adjective
1.
sharp; penetrating
noun
2.
(
chem
) a substance that lowers the surface tension of a liquid and thus causes it to penetrate or be absorbed more easily
3.
a person or thing that penetrates