adjective

• 1(of a rock or other material) having minute spaces or holes through which liquid or air may pass.

  ‘layers of porous limestones’

  More example sentences

  • ‘some rocks are more porous than others’
  • ‘The result is the formation of solid structures of a porous calcium carbonate rock also known as travertine.’
  • ‘Mudstones are the main source of oil and gas, although by the time the oil or gas is extracted it has usually migrated to porous rocks such as sandstones of limestones.’
  • ‘Moreover, they can also be seen as potential shape-selective catalysts by analogy with the porous minerals, zeolites.’
  • ‘A magnetic stir bar was placed in each chamber, separated from the root material by a porous metal screen.’
  • ‘Most masonry materials are porous and will absorb large amounts of water.’
  • ‘Coating a porous material like foam with this polymer makes it hydrophobic, so it won't absorb water.’
  • ‘Capillary action of the porous material pulls the ammonia borane into the pores of the support.’
  • ‘This drainage system is made up of a lower layer of rough, nonporous material and an upper layer of porous soil and sand.’
  • ‘Since drywall is a porous material, it can absorb melted paraffin when immersed in it.’
  • ‘The ion exchanger is porous and allows for a solution to permeate through the material.’
  • ‘Most of the outer islands of the southern Tongass are made of limestone, a relatively soft, porous rock.’
  • ‘We do very much the same sort of thing in reverse when we try to get oil out of porous rocks like sandstone and so on.’
  • ‘The active oxygen and water vapour permeate through the porous rubber structure of the tyre over time, gradually reducing pressure.’
  • ‘Braising in wine or a highly-seasoned stock allows porous mushrooms to absorb other flavors.’
  • ‘A porous paper may absorb a lot of the ink and as a result, the colors may be lighter.’
  • ‘They should not be used to vacuum porous materials, such as gypsum board.’
  • ‘You may even want to go over it with a primer if the material is porous.’
  • ‘Another is a rounded piece of clinker, a porous material that results from the burning of coal seams.’
  • ‘It is by nature a very porous material and often cannot be completely restored.’
  • ‘An aquifer is an underground bed of earth, gravel or porous stone that stores water.’

  Synonyms

  permeable, penetrable, pervious

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1Not retentive or secure.
     ‘he ran through a porous home defence to score easily’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Coming up next, how the man charged with this country's safety plans to secure our porous southern border.’
     • ‘The captain's massive influence will be lost at a time when United's porous defence is allowing precious league points to leak away.’
     • ‘He could not seem to hurt him, his defence was shockingly porous, and during most exchanges Sturm was a split-second ahead.’
     • ‘Not in the group stages of these two tournaments, however, did their defence appear so porous and their attack so unremarkable.’
     • ‘Their defence has been porous since the start of the season but crucially it kept a clean sheet in the home victory over the Dutch last week.’
     • ‘They won all the battles and and stiffened the defence which had been porous like in the first period.’
     • ‘The Australians had clearly targeted him and he lost the ball frequently in the tackle and was porous in defence.’
     • ‘What that would tell Woodward was all about the porous defences rather than exhilarating attacks.’
     • ‘Injuries and a porous defense were the main culprits in the collapse.’
     • ‘Is there tension between one of the league's perennially elite offenses and one of its most porous defenses?’
     • ‘Four veteran starters were signed as free agents to shore up the middle of the league's most porous defense.’
     • ‘Injuries and a porous defense that has the team playing catch-up have led to disappointment.’
     • ‘The porous defense is beginning to come under attack by the pitching staff.’
     • ‘The quick pace also has helped keep the porous defense more alert and involved.’
     • ‘His stock also has been hurt by being shuffled around a lot on a porous defense.’
     • ‘The team will focus on fundamentals in an effort to improve its porous run defense.’
     • ‘They'll be under, with a pretty porous defense and little help along the defensive line.’
     • ‘Their players are second to every ball, passes are going astray and their normally impenetrable defence is looking porous.’
     • ‘He chased down his own grubber to be the next man to take advantage of the porous Lancashire defence.’
     • ‘This really shook the home side, whose own defence also looked a little on the porous side.’