English learnt from Army

Haha.. Ok. Don't get me started on the English used in our Singapore Army. There already are many articles and forum discussions on them.

But it is rare that I had to learn new meaning on words used in the Military.

Yesterday, we were told to "impregnate" our uniforms with some chemicals to keep mosquitoes at bay. I thought that was a strange way to use the word. Won't a simple "soak" do ?

Then I took the chemical (Permethrin) and this is on the label (I have removed it out of the box) :



And I came back to check the dictionary (my favourite www.dictionary.com) :

im·preg·nate /v. ɪmˈprɛgneɪt, ˈɪmprɛgˌneɪt; adj. ɪmˈprɛgnɪt, -neɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[v. im-preg-neyt, im-preg-neyt; adj. im-preg-nit, -neyt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, -nat·ed, -nat·ing, adjective –verb (used with object)

1.	to make pregnant; get with child or young.

2.	to fertilize.

3.	to cause to be infused or permeated throughout, as with a substance; saturate: to impregnate a handkerchief with cheap perfume.

4.	to fill interstices with a substance.

5.	to furnish with some actuating or modifying element infused or introduced; imbue, infect; tincture.

–adjective

6.	impregnated.

Ok. I think tomorrow, my uniform will be impregnated with my perspiration. Ha ha.