pĕnē̆tro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. and n. [root pa- of pasco; v. penates].
I Act.
A To put , place , or set any thing into any thing (ante- and post-class.; v. Brix ad Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 109).
1 Lit.: penetrare pedem intra aedes, Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 64; 2, 3, 49: quo illic homo foras se penetrat ex aedibus? to betake one's self , go in any direction, id. Trin. 2, 2, 1: me ad pluris penetravi, id. ib. v. 14: se in fugam, to take to flight , id. Am. 1, 1, 94: in eam (specum) me penetro et recondo, Gell. 5, 14, 18.— To enter , penetrate : ea intra pectus se penetravit potio, Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 23.—In the same sense, mid.: quae penetrata queunt sensum progignere acerbum, having entered , having penetrated , Lucr. 4, 670; 1246.—
2 Trop.: Labeo Antistius in grammaticam sese atque dialecticam litterasque antiquiores altioresque penetraverat, had penetrated into , Gell. 13, 10, 1.—
B Aliquid, to pierce into any thing; to enter , penetrate any thing (poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
1 Lit., Lucr. 4, 894: (semen) penetrare locos nequit, id. 4, 1246: vox aures penetrat, id. 4, 613: hominem cum vini vis penetravit Acris, id. 3, 476: Illyricos sinus, Verg. A. 1, 243: nave Aegyptum, Suet. Caes. 52: mediae cryptam Suburrae, Juv. 5, 106. — Pass. : ut (India) penitus nequeat penetrari, Lucr. 2, 539: penetratae cum victoriā Media, Albania, etc., Vell. 2, 40, 1: penetrata limina montis, Stat. S. 4, 6, 104: iter L. Lucullo penetratum, Tac. A. 15, 27.—
2 Trop.: id Tiberii animum altius penetravit, Tac. A. 1, 69; cf. id. ib. 3, 4.—With subject-clause : tum penetrabat eos, posse haec, etc., it entered their thoughts , it occurred to them , Lucr. 5, 1262.—
II Neutr. , to enter , penetrate into any place or thing, betake one's self (class.; cf.: pervado, permano).
A Lit.: in palaestram, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 32: sub terras, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 48, § 107: ad os Pelusii, Curt. 4, 1, 29: in ipsum portum, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 37, § 96: in castra hostium, Liv. 2, 12, 3: in artissimas fauces, Curt. 5, 3, 17: ad urbes, Cic. Prov. Cons. 13, 32: per angustias, id. Tusc. 1, 20, 45: intra vallum, Liv. 39, 31: in urbem, id. 2, 53: cum eo penetrasset, thus far , Nep. Chabr. 4: astra per caelum penetrantia, Cic. Univ. 9: penetrat vox ad aures, Ov. M. 12, 42: usque ad nares, Cels. 7, 7.— Impers. pass. : in eam speluncam penetratum cum signis est, Liv. 10, 1.—
B Trop.: Romuli animus haec ipsa in templa penetravit, Cic. Rep. 6, 22, 24: hominum ratio in caelum usque penetravit, id. N. D. 2, 61, 163: nulla res magis penetrat in animos, id. Brut. 38, 142: penetrare ad sensum judicis opinionemque, id. Part. 36: quo non ars penetrat? Ov. A. A. 3, 291: in provincias quoque grammatica penetraverat, Suet. Gram. 3.