perforate

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.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpəːfəreɪt/

• Audio (US):

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perforate (third-person singular simple present perforates, present participle perforating, simple past and past participle perforated)

1. (transitive) To pierce; to penetrate.
2. (transitive) To make a line of holes in (a thin material) to allow separation at the line.

   to perforate a sheet of postage stamps

• (to pierce, penetrate): drill, punch

• perforation
• perforator
• imperforate

perforate (not comparable)

1. (obsolete, as a participle) Perforated.
   • 1626, Francis Bacon, Sylua Syluarum:

     An Earthen Pot perforate at the Bottom to let in the Plant.

2. (obsolete, as a participial adjective) Perforated, having a hole.
   • 1541, Thomas Elyot, Image of Governance:

     Suche abuses can not be longe hydde frome princis, that haue their eares perforate (as is the prouerbe).

3. (philately, biology) Perforated.
   • 1999, Nguyen Van Dzu, Peter C. Boyce, Kew Bulletin, 54(2):379-393:

     A species of remarkable appearance with mature leaf laminae often so profoundly perforate as to resemble a fragile net of tissue.

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “perforate”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

perforate

1. inflection of perforare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

perforate f pl

1. feminine plural of perforato

• prefatore, profetare, profeterà

perforāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of perforō

perforate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of perforar combined with te