perforated
Americanadjective
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pierced with a hole or holes.
Punch out along the perforated line.
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Philately. (of a number of stamps joined together) having rows of closely spaced perforations dividing each stamp from the others.
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marked by or having perforation.
a perforated ulcer.
adjective
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pierced with one or more holes
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perf. (esp of stamps) having perforations
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of perforated
Explanation
Something perforated usually contains a series of tiny holes. You might see a perforated line on a utility bill, where you are supposed to tear off that part to mail in with your check. Anything with holes can be said to be perforated, especially if the holes are in a row or series. You wouldn't say something with one hole is perforated. This word can have some grim uses, like if you're talking about a murder victim whose body was perforated with bullets.
Vocabulary lists containing perforated
The Sea of Monsters
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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"Poetry"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He was a security guard based at South Quay Docklands at the time of the explosion in February 1996, which blew him off his feet and perforated his ear drums.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
She started by securing the property’s front entrance with recycled perforated screens and new landscaping.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2025
Dozens of pasta formats, made with flour from the company’s own mill, are shaped by traditional bronze dies, or perforated disks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025
I started doing research into really nerdy stuff, and the perforated walls you see in the dark corridors are shipping pallets.”
From Salon • Jul. 17, 2025
Soon, the famous whistling arrows of the Mongol nomads would shriek through the perforated rock and find their targets.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
