perforation

Everyday

1. A small hole, or one of a line of small holes, made in paper so it can be torn off neatly. tree →
2. A hole made through something. tree →
3. (medicine) A hole in a part of the body that should not have one, such as a perforated eardrum. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, perforations are on stamps, tickets, toilet roll and tear-off forms: «tear along the perforation». In medicine, a perforated eardrum is a small hole in the eardrum that usually heals. Phrases: «tear along the perforations», «perforated line», «perforated eardrum».

Examples

• Tear the coupon along the perforation. tree →
• Stamps have tiny perforations around their edges. tree →
• Toilet paper has perforations so you can tear one sheet. tree →
• The doctor said he had a small perforation in his eardrum. tree →
• Draw a dotted line to show where the perforation goes. tree →
• The metal sheet was full of perforations to let air through. tree →

Note

Countable. Verb «perforate»; adjective «perforated». Spelling: per-for-a-tion. Trap: do not confuse with «performance».