1 to go through or into sth, especially when this is difficult (尤指很不容易地)进入,渗入,穿过,穿透:
The knife penetrated ten centimetres into his chest.刀子刺入他的胸膛达十厘米深。
2 to manage to understand sth difficult 设法了解,明白(难懂之物):
Scientists have still not penetrated the workings of the brain.科学家仍没有搞清大脑的运作机理。
3 to be understood or realized 被了解;被领悟:
I was back at home when the meaning of her words finally penetrated.我回到家后,她话的意思我总算明白。 ➔penetration /ˌpenɪˈtreɪʃn ||; ˌpɛnəˈtreʃən/ noun [U]
penetrate/ˋpɛnə͵tret; ˈpenətreIt or ˈpenItreIt/v [I,T] to enter something or pass through it, especially when this is difficult 进入﹔渗入﹔穿透﹐穿过: bullets that can penetrate metal 能穿透金属的子弹Sunlight barely penetrated the dirty windows. 阳光几乎照不进那些肮脏的窗户。 —penetration /͵pɛnəˋtreʃən; ˌpenəˈtreIʃ$n or ˌpenIˈtreIʃ$n/n [U]
penetratepenetratepenetratespenetratedpenetratingverb (penetrates, penetrating, penetrated)to go through or into something: The knife penetrated deep into his chest.