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American Dictionary of the English Language

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Pervade


PERVA'DE, verb transitive [Latin pervado; per and vado, to go; Eng. to wade.]

1. To pass through an aperture, pore or interstice; to permeate; as liquors that pervade the pores.

2. To pass or spread through the whole extent of a thing and into every minute part.

What but God

Pervades, adjusts and agitates the whole?

3. We use this verb in a transitive form to express a passive or an intransitive signification. Thus when we say, 'the electric fluid pervades the earth, ' or 'either pervades the universe, ' we mean only that the fluid is diffused through the earth or universe, or exists in all parts of them. So when we say, 'a spirit of conciliation pervades all classes of men, ' we may mean that such a spirit passes through all classes, or it exists among all classes.