Interpenetrate

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪntəˈpɛnɪtɹeɪt/

Definitions

1. To mutually invade or combine with different elements or substances in a manner that facilitates interaction between them
2. To blend or influence each other through overlapping and intermingling processes, leading to a shared existence
3. To enter into and occupy the same space mutually ; to combine or blend two or more elements intimately

Etymology: "Interpenetrate" is a plain compound: the prefix "inter-", meaning "between" or "among," from Latin "inter," joined to "penetrate," which comes from Latin "penetrare," "to enter into, go into." Put together, the literal sense is something like "to penetrate between" or "to enter into one another," and that spatial idea still lies underneath the modern meaning of two things mixing thoroughly. The "inter-" prefix itself goes back a long way: it traces to the same ancient root that gave Latin "inter" its sense of "between," which is why it appears in so many English words such as "intercept" and "intervene." "Penetrate" carries the older image of getting inside something, and the compound pairs that movement with the idea of reciprocity, so that each thing enters the other.

Synonyms: intermix, permeate