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porous. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
porous, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
porous in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
porous you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From Old French poros, from Latin porus (“an opening”). By surface analysis, pore + -ous.
Pronunciation
Adjective
porous (comparative more porous, superlative most porous)
- Full of tiny pores that allow fluids or gasses to pass through.
- Synonym: permeable
Sponges are porous so they can filter water while trapping food.
Concrete is porous, so water will slowly filter through it.
- (figurative) With many gaps or loopholes.
2011 May 14, Peter Scrivener, “Sunderland 1 - 3 Wolverhampton”, in BBC Sport:However, Wolves porous defence opened up again to gift Sunderland a foothold in the game - Sessegnon sweeping in a Zenden corner that was inexplicably allowed to bounce in the six-yard box.
2012, Miguel Antonio Levario, Militarizing the Border: When Mexicans Became the Enemy, page 125:[…] a porous border consequently positioned migrants from Mexico and ethnic Mexicans residing in the United States as potential terrorists.
Derived terms
Translations
(figuratively) with many gaps
Chuukese
Noun
porous
- Alternative form of poraus