impermeable
/ɪmˈpəːmɪəb(ə)l
/adjective
Not allowing fluid to pass through: an impermeable membrane...
- Because this layer should permit passage of fluid, impermeable dressings are not recommended.
- This will render the topo impermeable, yet still allow you to write notes on it with a ballpoint pen.
- This may involve professional help, as your roof has to be strong enough to support the mat of plants, and it will also require an impermeable membrane underneath.
Synonyms
watertight, waterproof, damp-proof, water-resistant, water-repellent, airtight, tight, sealed, hermetically sealed, closed;
impenetrable, impregnable, inviolable, resistant
rare imperviable
Derivatives
impermeability
/ noun ...- Because the photodamaged lysosomes still maintained the impermeability to sucrose, both the normal and photodamaged lysosomes suffered the same degree of osmotic stress in the hypotonic sucrose medium.
- Pedestrian access and routes have also been improved; this was an important consideration, given the site's impermeability (enmeshed by motorways and slip roads) and that many staff will arrive on foot.
- He contrasts this with the impermeability of the anti-absorptive text, which produces ‘artifice, boredom, exaggeration, attention scattering, distraction, digression’.
Origin
Late 17th century: from French imperméable, or from late Latin impermeabilis, from in- 'not' + permeabilis (see permeable).