Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

perforate

/pˈɝfɚˌeɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.02 in modern English

Syllables
per-fo-rate
IPA
/pˈɝfɚˌeɪt/
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /ˈpɜː.fə.ɹeɪt/

verb

IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /ˈpɝ.fɚ.eɪt/

verb

Audio (US): (file)

adj

IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /ˈpɜː.fə.ɹət/

adj

IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /ˈpɝ.fɚ.ət/

verb

To pierce; to penetrate.

Transitive verb

verb

To make a line of holes in (a thin material) to allow separation at the line.

Transitive verb

adj

Perforated.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

Etymology

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.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: perforat, perforātus

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce perforate?
The recorded pronunciation is /pˈɝfɚˌeɪt/.
What does perforate mean?
IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /ˈpɜː.fə.ɹeɪt/
Where does perforate come from?
It is traced to Middle English. First known use: first attested in 1425.

How to pronounce perforate

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “perforate”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/pˈɝfɚˌeɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “perforate”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “perforate” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.