seepage
/'si:pidʤ/
Definition
- Noun:
- The slow escape or movement of a liquid or gas through porous material or small openings: "Seepage" refers to the process by which a substance, typically a liquid like water, gradually passes through a barrier or material.
- The process of seeping: It is the action or state of something oozing, leaking, or filtering slowly.
Usage and Examples
- Noun:
- The basement walls showed signs of water seepage after the heavy rains.
- Engineers installed a barrier to prevent oil seepage from the contaminated soil.
- Constant seepage through the dam's foundation was a major concern for safety inspectors.
Advanced Usage and Notes
- Technical Contexts: "Seepage" is commonly used in geology, civil engineering, environmental science, and construction to describe the unwanted or natural movement of fluids through soil, rock, or man-made structures.
- The study focused on groundwater seepage into the excavation site.
- Figurative Use: While less common, it can be used metaphorically to describe a slow, gradual spread or leakage of non-physical things.
- There was a slow seepage of confidential information to the press.
Variants and Related Words
- Seep (verb): To flow or pass slowly through small openings.
- Water began to seep through the cracks.
- Seepy (adjective, informal): Prone to or characterized by seepage.
- The ground was seepy and muddy.
Synonyms
- Leakage: The accidental escape of a fluid or gas.
- Percolation: The process of a liquid moving slowly through a porous substance.
- Oozing: The slow flow or leak of a viscous substance.
- Exudation: The process of discharging moisture or fluid slowly.
Antonyms
- Containment: The action of keeping something within limits; preventing escape.
- Impermeability: The quality of not allowing fluids to pass through.
Common Collocations and Phrases
- Water seepage: The most frequent collocation, referring specifically to water leaking through.
- Seepage control: Methods or engineering practices to manage or stop seepage.
- Seepage rate: The speed or volume at which a substance seeps.
Noun
-
the process of seeping
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