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pervious

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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WOTD – 15 November 2024

Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin pervius (“having a passage through; passable, penetrable, traversable”) English -ous (suffix denoting the presence of a quality in any degree (typically an abundance)). Pervius is derived from per- (prefix denoting doing something all the way through or entirely) via (“road, street; method, way; (figurative) course, route”) -us (suffix forming adjectives)[1][2]

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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pervious (comparative more pervious, superlative most pervious)

  1. Often followed by to: capable of being penetrated by another body or substance, such as air or water; admitting passage.
    Synonyms: penetrable, permeable, perviable (obsolete, rare)
    Antonyms: impervious, impenetrable, impermeable, unpervious
    Near-synonym: porous
    a pervious soil
    • a. 1631 (date written), J[ohn] Donne, “Obsequies to the Lord Harringtons Brother. To the Countesse of Bedford.”, in Poems, […] with Elegies on the Authors Death, London: […] M[iles] F[lesher] for Iohn Marriot, […], published 1633, →OCLC, page 140:
      If looking up to God, or dovvne to us, / Thou finde that any vvay is pervious, / Tvvixt heav'n and earth, […]
    • 1659 December 30 (date written), Robert Boyle, “[Experiment 17]”, in New Experiments Physico-Mechanicall, Touching the Spring of the Air, and Its Effects, (Made, for the Most Part, in a New Pneumatical Engine) […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] H[enry] Hall, printer to the University, for Tho[mas] Robinson, published 1660, →OCLC, page 120:
      [N]otvvithſtanding the exſuction of the Air, our Receiver may not be deſtitute of all Bodies, ſince any thing placed in it, may be ſeen there; vvhich vvould not be, if it vvere not pervious to thoſe Beams of Light vvhich rebounding from the ſeen Object to our eyes, affect us vvith the ſenſe of it: […]
    • 1659–1660, Thomas Stanley, “[Democritus.] Chapter X. Ethick.”, in The History of Philosophy, the Third and Last Volume, […], volume III, London: […] Humphrey Moseley, and Thomas Dring, […], →OCLC, 3rd part (Containing the Eleatick Sect), page 35:
      Every Country is pervious to a vviſe man; for the vvhole vvorld is the Country of a vviſe ſoul.
    • 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.
    • 1725, Homer, “Book IV”, in [Elijah Fenton], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume I, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC, page 208, lines 1055–1056:
      Svvift on the regal dome deſcending right, / The bolted Valves are pervious to her flight.
    • 1779 (date written), William Cowper, “The Pine Apple and the Bee”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1782, →OCLC, pages 330–331:
      The pine apples in triple rovv, / VVere baking hot and all in blovv, / A bee of moſt diſcerning taſte / Perceiv'd the fragrance as he paſs'd, / On eager vving the ſpoiler came, / And ſearch'd for crannies in the frame, / […] / But ſtill in vain, the frame vvas tight / And only pervious to the light.
    • 1781, Edward Gibbon, “Constantius Sole Emperor—Elevation and Death of Gallus—Danger and Elevation of Julian—Sarmatian and Persian Wars—Victories of Julian in Gaul”, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 148:
      The marſhy lands vvhich lay betvveen thoſe rivers [the Danube and the Timiș], and vvere often covered by their inundations, formed an intricate vvilderneſs, pervious only to these inhabitants, vvho vvere acquainted vvith its ſecret paths and inacceſſible fortreſſes.
    • 1876, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Cupido”, in Selected Poems. […], new edition, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, late Ticknor & Fields, and Fields, Osgood, & Co., →OCLC, page 180:
      The solid, solid universe / Is pervious to Love; / With bandaged eyes he never errs, / Around, below, above.
  2. (figurative)
    1. Capable of being seen through; open to being examined; patent, unconcealed.
      Synonyms: perspicuous, transparent
      Antonyms: impervious, unpervious
      • 1660, Jeremy Taylor, “Of Faith, as It is a Necessary Disposition to the Blessed Sacrament. Sect[ion] V. Of the Proper and Specifick Work of Faith in the Reception of the Holy Communion. How Much Every Man is Bound to Believe of this Mystery.”, in The Worthy Communicant or A Discourse of the Nature, Effects, and Blessings Consequent to the Worthy Receiving of the Lords Supper […], London: […] R. Norton for John Martyn, James Allestry, and Thomas Dicas […], published 1661, →OCLC, pages 249–250:
        [I]n their [i.e., the Egyptians'] ceremonies they uſually made three acclamations to the unknovvn Darkneſs; that is, to God, vvhoſe ſecrets are pervious to no eye, vvhoſe dvvelling is in a light that is not to be diſcerned, vvhoſe myſteries are not to be underſtood by us, and vvhoſe Sacraments are objects of faith and vvonder, but not to be diſordered by the miſtaking, undiſcerning eye of people that are curious to ask after vvhat they ſhall never underſtand.
    2. Capable of being penetrated mentally; intelligible, understandable.
      Synonyms: perspicuous, transparent
      Antonyms: impervious, unpervious
    3. Of a person, etc.: susceptible to being influenced by arguments, ideas, etc.; impressionable, tractable.
  3. (obsolete)
    1. Capable of penetrating or permeating.
      Synonym: pervading
      • 1672, [Juan Eusebio Nieremberg], Jeremy Taylor, compiler, “The Excellency and Happiness of the Souls and Bodies of the Just in the Life Eternal”, in [Vivian Mullineaux], transl., Contemplations of the State of Man in this Life, and in that which is to Come, London: […] John Kidgell […], published 1684, →OCLC, book II, page 181:
        The bodies of the Saints, […] have an agility to move from place to place vvith ſpeed and ſubtility like light; to have their vvay free and pervious through all places, and can penetrate vvhereſoever they pleaſe.
        Although Taylor is named as the author on the title page, the work is an abridgement of Mullineaux’s 1672 English translation of Nieremberg’s De la diferencia entre lo temporal y lo eterno, y Crisol de Desengaños (On the Difference between the Temporal and the Eternal, and the Crucible of Deceptions, 1640), apparently compiled by Taylor.
      • 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, page 496:
        VVhat is this little, agile, pervious Fire, / This flutt'ring Motion, vvhich VVe call the Mind? / Hovv does She act? and vvhere is She confin'd?
      • a. 1850 (date written), Hartley Coleridge, “Enoch”, in Poems […], 2nd edition, volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], published 1851, →OCLC, page 319:
        He walk'd with God, and like the breath of prayer, / His earthly substance melted all away: / So much he loved the Lord, his mortal clay / Abolish'd quite, or blent with pervious air, / Soft as a rainbow, mix'd with things that were / And are not.
    2. (botany, zoology) Of a body structure (especially the nostril of a bird): having a hole, perforate; also, wide open.
      • 1785, Thomas Pennant, “Class II. Birds. Div[ision] I. Land Birds. Order I. Rapacious. I. Vulture, Gen. Birds I.”, in Arctic Zoology, volume II, London: […] Henry Hughs, →OCLC, page 191:
        The noſtrils are very large, and pervious: the vvhole plumage is duſky, daſhed vvith purple and green: legs of a dirty fleſh-color: clavvs black.

Derived terms

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Translations

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capable of being penetrated by another body or substance — see permeable

References

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  1. ^ “pervious, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2024.
  2. ^ “pervious, adj.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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