penetrator
/ˈpenəˌtɹeɪtə/PEH-nuh-tray-tur
/ˈpɛnəˌtɹeɪtɚ/PEH-nuh-tray-tur
Meaningone that pierces
Common meaning: a person or thing that penetrates
- penetrto go into, pierceLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1329 · scan
- atverb or adjective ending: to make, having
- oragent ending: the doer, or the device that does it
Journey through time
- Latinpenetrō, -āre‘to go into, pierce’
- Englishpenetrate‘to go into’
- Englishformed in English from penetratepenetrator‘a person or thing that penetrates’ · today
Sources & notes
Inferred source: no dictionary we use has an entry for this exact word. Its history is worked out from closely related, listed words in the same family, and we are trusting that link, so bear that in mind. Inferred meaning: one that pierces. It can be inferred from any of: penetrate.
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from penetrate + -or (inferred: this exact word is not listed in our dictionaries).
Roots
- penetrō, -āre Latin “to go into, pierce”
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