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# impregnate

«impregnate» in Mova's school dictionary: **To soak or fill something completely with a substance:…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

verb (impregnate, impregnates, impregnated, impregnating)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To soak or fill something completely with a substance: wood impregnated with oil. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/impregnate/#m1)

2) (biology) To make a female animal pregnant, so that a baby starts to grow inside her. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/impregnate/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In science and design-technology lessons, materials are impregnated with chemicals to make them waterproof, fireproof or longer-lasting (fence posts soaked in preservative). In biology about animals, it means fertilising so that young will grow. Phrases: impregnated with, impregnate wood.

### examples

- The fence posts were impregnated with a chemical to stop them rotting. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/impregnate/#x1)
- The cloth was impregnated with wax to make it waterproof. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/impregnate/#x2)
- The bandage is impregnated with antiseptic. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/impregnate/#x3)
- The air was impregnated with the smell of smoke. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/impregnate/#x4)
- Farmers keep the bull separate until they want the cows impregnated. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/impregnate/#x5)
- The matches are impregnated with a chemical that helps them light. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/impregnate/#x6)

### note

The «soak/fill» sense is the one met most in school and science. Noun: «impregnation». The adjective «pregnant» is related to the second sense only. Pronounced IM-preg-nate.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «impregnate» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/impregnate/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.