penetrare

to enter, pierce

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A walker is stopped where a narrow path ends against a dense, interwoven wall of thorny branches, with no gap large enough to enter.

adjective

impenetrable

im-PEN-ih-truh-bul/ɪmˈpenɪtrəbl/

Too resistant to allow entry or passage.

Etymology

imLatinnot; without

+penetrLatinto enter, pierce

+ableLatinable to be; fit for

The pieces describe something that cannot be entered or pierced. Applied to meaning rather than matter, the same barrier image describes something the understanding cannot get through.

Full entry

Related word entries

impenetrable
penetration