1
a
: possessing or full of pores
b
: containing vessels
hardwood is porous
2
a
: permeable to fluids
b
: permeable to outside influences
3
: capable of being penetrated
porous national boundaries
porously
adverb
porousness
noun
Examples of porous in a Sentence
The country has a porous border.
a cleaner that should not be used on porous surfaces
Recent Examples on the Web
At the time, a team including University of California Riverside microbiologist Michael Allen took a helicopter into an area that the volcanic eruption previously reduced to porous pumice.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
Its porous structure allows for a large surface area to capture carbon, while its covalent bonds are incredibly strong.
—New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2024
The scoreless first half against the league’s most porous defense triggered a harsh halftime speech from LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo, whose team had one shot on goal in the first 45 minutes.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
Stone surfaces, including marble, granite, and quartz, are porous and bleach can wreak havoc of these beautiful materials.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for porous 
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Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
Its porous structure allows for a large surface area to capture carbon, while its covalent bonds are incredibly strong.
—New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2024
The scoreless first half against the league’s most porous defense triggered a harsh halftime speech from LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo, whose team had one shot on goal in the first 45 minutes.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
Stone surfaces, including marble, granite, and quartz, are porous and bleach can wreak havoc of these beautiful materials.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for porous
Dictionary Entries Near porous
Cite this Entry
“Porous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/porous. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
porous
adjective
po·rous
ˈpōr-əs 
ˈpȯr-
1
: full of pores
2
: capable of absorbing liquids
Medical Definition
porous
adjective
po·rous
ˈpōr-əs, ˈpȯr-
1
: possessing or full of pores
porous bones
2
: permeable to fluids
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