perforation

American  

[pur-fuh-rey-shuhn] / ˌpɜr fəˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. a hole, or one of a series of holes, bored or punched through something, as those between individual postage stamps of a sheet to facilitate separation.

2. a hole made or passing through a thing.

3. the act of perforating.

4. the condition or state of being perforated.

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perforation British  

/ ˌpɜːfəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of perforating or the state of being perforated

2. a hole or holes made in something

3. 1. a method of making individual stamps, coupons, etc, easily separable by punching holes along their margins

   2.  perf.  the holes punched in this way

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Etymology

Origin of perforation

1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin perforātiōn- (stem of perforātiō ) a boring through. See perforate, -ion

Explanation

A perforation is a cut or hole in a piece of paper that makes it easy to tear, like the neat row of perforations that allows you to rip a sheet out of your notebook cleanly. There are perforations between each stamp on a sheet of postage stamps, and some large envelopes have perforations that allow you to open the package easily. These perforations are made by a machine that pokes the tiny holes using either metal needles or lasers. You can use this word for other kinds of holes as well, whether in metal or skin. It stems from the Latin perforare, "bore or pierce through."

Example Sentences

They showed that the previously accepted idea that azoles kill the pathogen cell by causing perforation of the outer cell membrane does not apply.

From Science Daily • May 31, 2024

The F.D.A. said the manufacturer of the device, Abiomed, should have notified the agency more than two years ago, when the company first posted an update on its website about the perforation risk.

From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2024

Perry had publicly revealed in his autobiography “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing” that he had a gastrointestinal perforation, and that could have led to long-term complications, Baden said.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2023

Melo first swapped that membrane for tilapia skin in 2019, when she successfully operated on a Shih Tzu with a severe corneal perforation.

From Scientific American • Oct. 1, 2023

Occasionally, the inflammation excited by the perforation may be circumscribed and terminate in an abscess, which may permit recovery by discharging itself into the bowel or externally.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various