Dictionary

porous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• audio Queensland
• /ˈpoːɹəs/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• [ˈpɔ.ɹəs] (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈpɔːɹəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈpɔɹəs/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

From Old French poros, from Latin porus (“an opening”). By surface analysis, pore + -ous.

Meanings

1. Full of tiny pores that allow fluids or gasses to pass through.
   • Concrete is porous, so water will slowly filter through it.
   • Sponges are porous so they can filter water while trapping food.
2. (figuratively) With many gaps or loopholes.
   • […] a porous border consequently positioned migrants from Mexico and ethnic Mexicans residing in the United States as potential terrorists. 2012, Miguel Antonio Levario, Militarizing the Border: When Mexicans Became the Enemy, page 125:
   • However, Wolves ^([sic]) porous defence opened up again to gift Sunderland a foothold in the game - Sessegnon sweeping in a Zenden corner that was inexplicably allowed to bounce in the six-yard box. 2011 May 14, Peter Scrivener, “Sunderland 1 - 3 Wolverhampton”, in BBC Sport:

Forms

Deriveds

mesoporous · nonporous · porousness · subporous · biporous · porosity · aporous · unporous · pseudoporous · uniporous · nanoporous · monoporous · porous portal · poromeric · imporous · macroporous · multiporous · microporous · polyporous · porously · hyperporous · semiporous · electroporous

Synonyms

permeable

Translations (39)

eo pora (full of tiny pores) · grc πολύτρητος (full of tiny pores) · el πορώδης (full of tiny pores) · hy ծակոտկեն (full of tiny pores) · et urbne (full of tiny pores) · it poroso (full of tiny pores) · mi koropungapunga (full of tiny pores) · nb porøs (full of tiny pores) · da porøs (full of tiny pores) · sv porös (full of tiny pores) · fr poreux (full of tiny pores) · fi huokoinen (full of tiny pores) · ar مَسَامِّيّ (full of tiny pores) · fa متخلخل (full of tiny pores) · pt poroso (full of tiny pores) · kmr kunkunî (full of tiny pores) · pl porowaty (full of tiny pores) · bg порест (full of tiny pores) · grc χαῦνος (full of tiny pores) · de porös (full of tiny pores) · nn porøs (full of tiny pores) · tl malabuga (full of tiny pores) · ru по́ристый (full of tiny pores) · gl poroso (full of tiny pores) · ast porosu (full of tiny pores) · la multicavus (full of tiny pores) · ja 多孔質の (full of tiny pores) · mi pōareare (full of tiny pores) · nl poreus (full of tiny pores) · ca porós (full of tiny pores) · ms ڤوروس (full of tiny pores) · et poorne (full of tiny pores) · es poroso (full of tiny pores) · ja 多孔の (full of tiny pores) · tr gözenekli (full of tiny pores) · grc σομφός (full of tiny pores) · la porōsus (full of tiny pores) · cmn 多孔的 (full of tiny pores) · id porus (full of tiny pores)