INFILTRATE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does infiltrate mean? 

• INFILTRATE (verb)
  The verb INFILTRATE has 4 senses:

1. cause (a liquid) to enter by penetrating the interstices

2. enter a group or organization in order to spy on the members

3. pass into or through by filtering or permeating

4. pass through an enemy line; in a military conflict

  Familiarity information: INFILTRATE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INFILTRATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they infiltrate    ... he / she / it infiltrates   
Past simple: infiltrated   
Past participle: infiltrated   
-ing form: infiltrating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause (a liquid) to enter by penetrating the interstices

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "infiltrate" is one way to...):

filter; percolate; permeate; sink in (pass through)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

infiltration (the slow passage of a liquid through a filtering medium)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Enter a group or organization in order to spy on the members

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

infiltrate; penetrate

Context example:

The student organization was infiltrated by a traitor

Hypernyms (to "infiltrate" is one way to...):

fall in; get together; join (become part of; become a member of a group or organization)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

infiltration (a process in which individuals (or small groups) penetrate an area (especially the military penetration of enemy positions without detection))

infiltrator (someone who takes up a position surreptitiously for the purpose of espionage)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Pass into or through by filtering or permeating

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

the substance infiltrated the material

Hypernyms (to "infiltrate" is one way to...):

filter; percolate; permeate; sink in (pass through)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

infiltration (the slow passage of a liquid through a filtering medium)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Pass through an enemy line; in a military conflict

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

infiltrate; pass through

Hypernyms (to "infiltrate" is one way to...):

pass (go across or through)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

infiltration (a process in which individuals (or small groups) penetrate an area (especially the military penetration of enemy positions without detection))

infiltrator (an intruder (as troops) with hostile intent)

 Context examples 

It grows in the dermis and infiltrates subcutaneous tissues.

(Apocrine Gland Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

An undifferentiated malignant epithelial neoplasm which tends to infiltrate the surrounding tissues and spread to other anatomic sites.

(Carcinoma Simplex, NCI Thesaurus)

A blue nevus characterized by a multinodular cellular infiltrate with a dumb-bell architecture occupying the reticular dermis.

(Cellular Blue Nevus, NCI Thesaurus)

Upon administration, the anti-LAG-3 monoclonal antibody BMS-986016 binds to LAG-3 on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).

(Anti-LAG-3 Monoclonal Antibody BMS-986016, NCI Thesaurus)

A population of autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) transduced with a retroviral vector encoding the chimeric gene IgCD28TCR with potential immunostimulating and antineoplastic activities.

(Anti-CEA IgCD28TCR-Transduced Autologous T Cells, NCI Thesaurus)

A nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma characterized by the presence of cells without prominent nucleoli, cellular stratification, and a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate.

(Nasopharyngeal Differentiated Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

BAGE is expressed in normal adult testis and in some melanomas, infiltrating bladder carcinomas, mammary carcinomas, head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, and non-small cell lung carcinomas.

(BAGE Tumor Antigen, NCI Thesaurus)

For neoplasms, a non-infiltrating and non-metastasizing neoplastic process that is characterized by the absence of morphologic features associated with malignancy (e.g., severe atypia, nuclear pleomorphism, tumor cell necrosis, and abnormal mitoses).

(Benign, NCI Thesaurus)

An infiltrating Choroid Plexus Tumor with nuclear pleomorphism, increased mitoses, and often tumor necrosis.

(Mouse Choroid Plexus Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)

A bone hemangioma characterized by the presence of epithelioid endothelial cells, and eosinophilic and lymphocytic infiltrates.

(Bone Epithelioid Hemangioma, NCI Thesaurus)