Penetrations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act or process of entering into or piercing through something
2. The degree to which something can enter or be absorbed by another substance or surface
3. An instance of making a way into or through a barrier, often used in contexts such as security or understanding

Etymology: "Penetrations" is simply the plural of "penetration," so the history belongs to the singular. The noun came into English through Middle English "penetracioun," borrowed from Old French "penetracïon," which in turn came from Latin "penetrātiō," a noun built on the stem of "penetrō," meaning "pierce." Latin speakers used "penetrō" for pushing into or through something solid, so the earliest sense of the family was physical: a thing going inside another thing. The English word is a plain compound of "penetrate" and the suffix "-ion," which turns a verb into a noun for an action or process. Once you see that, the word's logic is transparent: "penetrate" names the act of piercing, and "penetration" names the act or result of piercing, or the process of entering into something.

Synonyms: infiltrations, permeations, intrusions, incursions, insinuations

Antonyms: withdrawals, retreats, retractions, exclusions, blockages