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

The Sandia team says that future experiments will be conducted on other minerals and sandy, rocky and porous samples, to simulate different types of asteroids. —Michael Irving, New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2024

As estrogen levels decline during menopause, many women develop osteoporosis, a condition where bones become porous, weak, and prone to fractures. —Priya Oberoi, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024

Their porous surface can harbor dirt that would be difficult and tedious to eliminate with scrubbing and other more manual cleaning methods. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2024

This consists of two half cells separated by a porous or an ion-exchange membrane. —Kat Friedrich, Ars Technica, 20 Sep. 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