Adjacent Words

Perforate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PER'FORATE, v.t. [L. perforo; per and foro; Eng. to bore.]
1. To bore through.
2. To pierce with a pointed instrument; to make a hole or holes through any thing by boring or driving; as, to perforate the bottom of a vessel.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: having a hole cut through; "pierced ears"; "a perforated eardrum"; "a punctured balloon" [syn: pierced, perforated, perforate, punctured] v
1: make a hole into or between, as for ease of separation; "perforate the sheets of paper" [syn: punch, perforate]
2: pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance; "The bullet penetrated her chest" [syn: penetrate, perforate]

Merriam Webster's

verb (-rated; -rating) Etymology: Latin perforatus, past participle of perforare to bore through, from per- through + forare to bore — more at bore Date: 1538 transitive verb 1. to make a hole through <an ulcer perforates the duodenal wall>; especially to make a line of holes in to facilitate separation 2. to pass through or into by or as if by making a hole intransitive verb to penetrate a surface • perforate adjective • perforator noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & adj. --v. 1 tr. make a hole or holes through; pierce. 2 tr. make a row of small holes in (paper etc.) so that a part may be torn off easily. 3 tr. make an opening into; pass into or extend through. 4 intr. (usu. foll. by into, through, etc.) penetrate. --adj. perforated. Derivatives: perforation n. perforative adj. perforator n. Etymology: L perforare (as PER-, forare pierce)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Perforate Per"fo*rate (p[~e]r"f[-o]*r[=a]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perforated (-r[=a]`t[e^]d); p. pr. & vb. n. Perforating.] [L. perforatus, p. p. of perforare to perforate; per through + forare to bore. See Bore, v.] To bore through; to pierce through with a pointed instrument; to make a hole or holes through by boring or piercing; to pierce or penetrate the surface of. --Bacon.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Perforate Per"fo*rate (p[~e]r"f[-o]*r[asl]t), Perforated Per"fo*ra`ted (p[~e]r"f[-o]*r[=a]"t[e^]d), a. Pierced with a hole or holes, or with pores; having transparent dots resembling holes.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(perforates, perforating, perforated) To perforate something means to make a hole or holes in it. I refused to wear headphones because they can perforate your eardrums. VERB: V n • perforated Keep good apples in perforated polythene bags. ADJ: ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Pierce, penetrate, bore, drill, bore through, puncture.

Moby Thesaurus

auger, bite, bore, broach, countersink, drill, drive, empierce, enter, fix, gore, gouge, gouge out, hole, honeycomb, impale, lance, needle, pass into, penetrate, pierce, pink, pit, prick, probe, punch, puncture, ream, ream out, riddle, run through, skewer, spear, spike, spit, stab, stick, tap, transfix, transpierce, trepan, trephine