pervious

English

Etymology

Latin pervius.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɜː.vi.əs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɝ.vi.əs/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)viəs

Adjective

pervious (comparative more pervious, superlative most pervious)

1. Admitting passage; capable of being penetrated by another body or substance; permeable.

   a pervious soil

   • 1715, [Alexander] Pope, The Temple of Fame: A Vision, London: […] Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 37:

     Not leſs in Number vvere the ſpacious Doors, / Than Leaves on Trees, or Sands upon the Shores; / VVhich ſtill unfolded ſtand, by Night, by Day, / Pervious to VVinds, and open ev'ry vvay.

2. Accepting of new ideas.
3. Capable of being penetrated, or seen through, by physical or mental vision.
   • 1660, Jeremy Taylor, The Worthy Communicant; or a Discourse of the Nature, Effects, and Blessings consequent to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper:

     God, whose secrets are pervious to no eye.

4. (obsolete) Capable of penetrating or pervading.
   • 1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Solomon on the Vanity of the World. A Poem in Three Books.”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     What is this little , agile , pervious fire […] ?

5. (zoology) open; perforate, as applied to the nostrils of birds

Antonyms

• impervious

Translations

capable of being penetrated

• Bulgarian: пропускащ (bg) (propuskašt), проницаем (bg) (pronicaem)
• Russian: проница́емый (ru) (pronicájemyj)

See also

• permeable
• porous

Anagrams

• previous, viperous