Definition

1. Verb:
   • To make pregnant; to cause to conceive: The primary biological meaning, referring to the act of fertilizing an egg or causing a female to become pregnant.
   • To saturate or infuse thoroughly: To fill something completely with a substance, quality, or idea so that it permeates throughout.
   • To fertilize (soil): To make land fertile or productive.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • The bull will impregnate the cow. (To make pregnant)
  • The scientist managed to impregnate the egg in the laboratory. (To fertilize)
  • The cloth was impregnated with a waterproofing chemical. (To saturate with a substance)
  • His speeches are impregnated with a sense of optimism. (To infuse with a quality or idea)
  • Farmers impregnate the soil with nutrients. (To fertilize land)

Advanced Usage

• "To be impregnated with": This passive construction is commonly used to describe something being thoroughly filled or permeated by an abstract quality (e.g., an idea, feeling, atmosphere) or a physical substance.
  • The old castle was impregnated with a sense of history.
  • The air was impregnated with the scent of pine.

Variants and Related Words

• Impregnable (adj): Unable to be captured or broken into; invincible. (Note: This is a distinct word with a different primary meaning related to strength and defense, not directly to saturation or pregnancy).
• Impregnation (n): The action of impregnating or the state of being impregnated.
  • The impregnation of the fabric took several hours.

Synonyms

• Fertilize: To introduce sperm or pollen to; to make fertile. (For the biological/agricultural sense).
• Saturate: To soak thoroughly; to fill completely so no more can be absorbed. (For the infusion sense).
• Imbue: To inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality. (For the abstract sense).
• Permeate: To spread throughout; to penetrate every part of.
• Infuse: To fill; to instill.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Impregnate" is not typically used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. The meaning of saturation is inherent in the verb itself.)

Related Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms that use the word "impregnate" as a key component. Its usage is typically direct and literal or metaphorical.)

Verb

1. make pregnant
   • He impregnated his wife again
2. fertilize and cause to grow
   • the egg was impregnated
3. infuse or fill completely
   • Impregnate the cloth with alcohol
4. fill, as with a certain quality
   • The heavy traffic tinctures the air with carbon monoxide