Adjacent Words

Pervade definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PERVA'DE, v.t. [L. pervado; per and vado,to go; Eng. to wade.]
1. To pass through an aperture,pore or interstice; to permeate; as liquors that pervade the pores.
2. To pass or spread through the whole extent of a thing and into every minute part.
What but God
Pervades, adjusts and agitates the whole?
3. We use this verb in a transitive form to express a passive or an intransitive signification. Thus when we say, "the electric fluid pervades the earth," or "either pervades the universe," we mean only that the fluid is diffused through the earth or universe, or exists in all parts of them. So when we say, "a spirit of conciliation pervades all classes of men," we may mean that such a spirit passes through all classes, or it exists among all classes.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: spread or diffuse through; "An atmosphere of distrust has permeated this administration"; "music penetrated the entire building"; "His campaign was riddled with accusations and personal attacks" [syn: permeate, pervade, penetrate, interpenetrate, diffuse, imbue, riddle]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (pervaded; pervading) Etymology: Latin pervadere to go through, pervade, from per- through + vadere to go — more at per-, wade Date: 1659 to become diffused throughout every part of

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 spread throughout, permeate. 2 (of influences etc.) become widespread among or in. 3 be rife among or through. Derivatives: pervasion n. Etymology: L pervadere (as PER-, vadere vas- go)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pervade Per*vade", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pervaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Pervading.] [L. pervadere, pervasum; per + vadere to go, to walk. See Per-, and Wade.] 1. To pass or flow through, as an aperture, pore, or interstice; to permeate. That labyrinth is easily pervaded. --Blackstone. 2. To pass or spread through the whole extent of; to be diffused throughout. A spirit of cabal, intrigue, and proselytism pervaded all their thoughts, words, and actions. --Burke.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(pervades, pervading, pervaded) If something pervades a place or thing, it is a noticeable feature throughout it. (FORMAL) The smell of sawdust and glue pervaded the factory... Throughout the book there is a pervading sense of menace. VERB: V n, V-ing

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Permeate, penetrate, pass through. 2. Overspread, fill, run through, be diffused through, be disseminated through, extend through, affect entirely.

Moby Thesaurus

bespread, besprinkle, breathe, brew, charge, color, crawl with, creep with, decoct, diffuse, dredge, dye, entincture, extend throughout, fill, flavor, honeycomb, imbrue, imbue, impregnate, infiltrate, infuse, instill, interpenetrate, leave no void, leaven, occupy, overrun, overspread, overswarm, penetrate, percolate, permeate, run through, saturate, season, steep, suffuse, swarm with, teem with, temper, tincture, tinge, transfuse