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perforate

per·fo·rate

US/ˈpɜrfɜrˌeɪt/ uncommon obsolete
adjective (1) verb (2)

adjective

1.

having a hole cut through

  • “pierced ears”
  • “a perforated eardrum”
  • “a punctured balloon”
Synonyms
Similar

verb

1.

make a hole into or between, as for ease of separation

  • “perforate the sheets of paper”
Synonyms
2.

pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

  • “The bullet penetrated her chest”
Synonyms

Origin

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 usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.