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calar

to soak through; to penetrate

verb kah-LAHR Rare

Also means

to fit (a cork, plug)

Usage Note

Calar has a core sense of liquid or cold penetrating something thoroughly — la lluvia me caló hasta los huesos (the rain soaked me to the bone). Figuratively it means for an idea or style to take hold: esa moda no caló entre los jóvenes. As a technical term it means to insert a cork, plug, or blade into a fitting. Reflexively, calarse can also mean to stall (an engine) in Spain.

Examples

"La lluvia fría caló hasta los huesos."

Natural Translation

The cold rain soaked through to the bone.

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