/'penɪtreɪt; `pɛnə,tret/
v
1 [Ipr, Tn] ~ (into/through) sth make a way into or through sth 进入或穿过某物
*Our troops have penetrated (into) enemy territory. 我部队已深入到敌占区.
* The mist penetrated (into) the room. 雾已渗入室内.
* The heavy rain had penetrated right through her coat. 大雨湿透了她的大衣.
* (fig 比喻) The cat's sharp claws penetrated (ie pierced) my skin. 猫的尖爪刺进了我的皮层.
* The party has been penetrated (ie infiltrated) by extremists. 有些极端分子已打入该党.
* A shrill cry penetrated the silence. 一声尖叫划破了寂静.
2 [Tn, Tn.pr esp passive 尤用于被动语态] ~ sb/sth (with sth) fill or spread through sb/sth 充满; 遍布
*Cold horror penetrated her whole being. 她吓得浑身发凉.
3 [Tn] see or show a way into or through (sth) 看穿或透过（某事物）
*Our eyes could not penetrate the darkness. 我们的眼睛在黑暗中看不见东西.
* The headlamps penetrated the fog. 车的前灯的光射进雾中.* (fig 比喻) We soon penetrated his disguise, ie saw who he really was. 我们很快看穿了他的伪装.
4 [Tn] understand or discover (sth) 洞察或发现（某事物）
*It was impossible to penetrate the mystery. 那奥秘无法揭穿.
* He penetrated their thoughts. 他了解他们的想法.
5 [I, Tn] be fully understood or realized (by sb) 被（他人）充分理解或领悟
*I explained the problem to him several times but it didn't seem to penetrate. 那问题我向他解释多次, 他似无所悟.
* Nothing we say penetrates his thick skull! 无论我们说什么他都不懂!

v

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1【go through】
2【business】
3【organization】
4【understand】
5【sex】
6【see through】

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[Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin;Origin: , past participle of penetrare]
【GO THROUGH】 [I and T]
to enter something and pass or spread through it, especially when this is difficult
→pierce
　bullets that penetrate thick armour plating
　Sunlight barely penetrated the dirty windows.
penetrate into
　Explorers penetrated deep into unknown regions.
【BUSINESS】 [T]
to start to sell things to an area or country, or to have an influence there
　Few U.S. companies have successfully penetrated the Japanese electronics market.
【ORGANIZATION】 [T]
to succeed in becoming accepted into a group or an organization, sometimes in order to find out their secrets
　KGB agents had penetrated most of their intelligence services.
【UNDERSTAND】formala)
[T]
to succeed in understanding something
　Science has penetrated the mysteries of nature.
b) [I and T]
to be understood, with difficulty
　What could I say that would penetrate his thick skull ?
【SEX】 [T]
if a man penetrates someone, he puts his penis into a woman's vagina or into someone's anus when having sex
【SEE THROUGH】 [T]
to see into or through something when this is difficult
　My eyes couldn't penetrate the gloom.