porous

adjective

po·​rous ˈpȯr-əs 

1

a

: possessing or full of pores

b

: containing vessels

hardwood is porous

2

a

: permeable to fluids

b

: permeable to outside influences

3

: capable of being penetrated

porous national boundaries

porously adverb

porousness noun

Synonyms

• passable
• penetrable
• permeable
• pervious

Examples of porous in a Sentence

The country has a porous border.

a cleaner that should not be used on porous surfaces

Recent Examples on the Web

Other Russian assault units are pushing fast towards Pokrovsk itself, with infantry units, sometimes only a few Russians strong, probing into villages and looking for holes in Ukraine’s increasingly porous defenses. —Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024

These graphs can be thought of as simplified models of how a fluid moves, or percolates, through a porous material, the way water moves through a sponge. —Joseph Howlett, WIRED, 24 Nov. 2024

The porous material, known as a covalent organic framework, is called COF-999. —Rudy Molinek, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2024

Take caution not to get the baseboards too wet, as unpainted wood tends to be porous. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing porous

• diffuse-porous
• ring-porous

Kids Definition

porous

adjective

po·​rous ˈpōr-əs 

ˈpȯr-

1

: full of pores

2

: capable of absorbing liquids

Medical Definition

porous

adjective

po·​rous ˈpōr-əs, ˈpȯr- 

1

: possessing or full of pores

porous bones

2

: permeable to fluids