Penetrâlis, & hoc penetrâle, pen. prod. Belonging to the inner part of the house, or done in the inner parte of the house: also piercing. Adiectiuum: vt, Penetralis focus. Catu. A chimney within the house.Abditi ac penetrales foci.Cic.Frigus penetrale. Luc. Piercing colde.Penetrale sacrificium. Fest. Sacriffce done in the inner parte of the house.Tecta penetralia.Virg.Sedes penetralis.Virg. Templa penetralia cœli. Lucret.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
pĕnētrālis, e, adj. [penetro]. I.Piercing, penetrating (ante-class.): frigus, Lucr. 1, 494: ignis, id. 1, 535: fulmineus multo penetralior ignis, id. 2, 382.—II.Transf., inward, inner, internal, interior, innermost (mostly poet.): tecta, Verg. G. 1, 379: aeternumque adytis effert penetralibus ignem, id. A. 2, 297: abditi ac penetrales foci, Cic. Har. Resp. 27, 57: di Penates ... ab eo, quod penitus insideret: ex quo etiam penetrales a poëtis vocantur, id. N. D. 2, 27, 68; so, per penetrales deos, Sen. Oedip. 265; id. Phoen. 340: penetrale sacrificium dicitur, quod interiore parte sacrarii conficitur: unde et penetralia cujusque dicuntur; et penes nos, quod in potestate nostrā est, Fest. p. 250 Müll.—As subst.: pĕnētrāle, is (pĕnētral, Macr. S. 7, 1; Symm. Ep. 2, 34), n.; usually in plur.: pĕnētrālĭa, ium, the inner part, interior of any thing, esp. of a building; the inside space, an inner room (mostly poet.; not in Cic. or Cæs.; cf. adytum). I.Lit.A. In gen.: penetrale urbis, Liv. 41, 20, 7: in ipsis penetralibus (Britanniae), Tac. Agr. 30: apparent Priami et veterum penetralia regum,
the inner chambers
, Verg. A. 2, 484: in penetralibus regum ipsorum, Vulg. Psa. 104, 30; so, penetralia alta medio tecti, Verg. A. 7, 59: magni amnis penetralia, Ov. M. 1, 574; Sil. 7, 501.—B. In partic. 1.A sanctuary, esp. that of the Penates, a chapel: penetralia sunt penatium deorum sacraria, Fest. p. 208 Müll.: Capitolini Tonantis, Mart. 10, 51.—2.Transf., poet., the Penates, guardian deities: huc vittas castumque refer penetrale parentum, Sil. 13, 62: avi penetralia Turni, id. 1, 668.—II.Trop., an inner place, secret place, a secret (post-Aug.), Stat. S. 3, 5, 56: loci aperire penetralia, Quint. 6, 2, 25: auxilia ex ipsis sapientiae penetralibus petere, id. 12 prooem. 3: animus secedit in loca pura ... Haec eloquentiae penetralia, Tac. Or. 12: penetralia animi, Ambros. in Luc. 1, 1, 12: mentis, id. ib. 1, 5, 105.—With esp. reference to the signif. sanctuary (v. supra, I. B.): ut tantum intra suum penetral existimes adorandam (philosophiam), Macr. S. 7, 1: sanctum penetral animi tui nesciunt, Symm. Ep. 2, 34. —Adv.: pĕnētrālĭter, inwardly, internally (post-class.), Ven. Vit. S. Mart. 4, 597.