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perforate

The English word “perforate” has 9 meanings listed here.

verb

  1. IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /ˈpɜː.fə.ɹeɪt/
  2. IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /ˈpɝ.fɚ.eɪt/
  3. Audio (US): (file)
  4. To pierce; to penetrate.
  5. To make a line of holes in (a thin material) to allow separation at the line.

adjective

  1. IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /ˈpɜː.fə.ɹət/
  2. IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /ˈpɝ.fɚ.ət/
  3. Perforated.
  4. Perforated, having a hole.

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in 1425, in Middle English, the verb in 1538; from Middle English perforat(e) (“perforated, pierced”), borrowed from Latin perforātus, the perfect passive participle of perforō (“to bore or pierce through, to perforate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from per- (“through, thorough”) + forō (“to bore, pierce”). Participial…

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