DEFINITIONS
The
2019 WORD
OF THE YEAR is...

perforation

[ pur-fuh-rey-shuh n ]
/ ˌpɜr fəˈreɪ ʃən /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR perforation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.
a hole made or passing through a thing.
the act of perforating.
the condition or state of being perforated.

Words related to perforation

rift, discontinuity, fissure, opening, chip, chasm, gap, break, slit, rent, crack, aperture, cleft, hole, rupture, split, gash, cut, wound, prickle

Words nearby perforation

perforating abscess, perforating artery, perforating fiber, perforating vein, perforating wound, perforation, perforation gauge, perforce, perforin, perform, performance

Origin of perforation

1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin perforātiōn- (stem of perforātiō) a boring through. See perforate, -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for perforation

British Dictionary definitions for perforation

perforation
/ (ˌpɜːfəˈreɪʃən) /

noun

the act of perforating or the state of being perforated
a hole or holes made in something
  1. a method of making individual stamps, coupons, etc, easily separable by punching holes along their margins
  2. the holes punched in this wayAbbreviation: perf
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for perforation

perforation
[ pûr′fə-rā′shən ]

n.

The act of perforating or the state of being perforated.
An abnormal opening in a hollow organ or viscus, as one made by rupture or injury.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.