early 15c., perforacioun, "hole made through something;" mid-15c., "action of boring or piercing," from Medieval Latin perforationem (nominative perforatio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin perforare "bore or pierce through," from per "through" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "through") + forare "to pierce" (from PIE root *bhorh- "hole").
"bore through, pierce, make a hole or holes in," late 15c. (implied in perforated), a back-formation from perforation or else from Latin perforatus, past participle of perforare "to bore through, pierce through," from per "through" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "through") + forare "to pierce" (from PIE root *bhorh- "hole"). Related: Perforating.
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "hole," with verbal form *bherh- "to pierce, strike."
It forms all or part of: bore (v.1) "to drill through, perforate;" Boris; burin; foramen; Foraminifera; foraminous; interfere; interference; perforate; perforation.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek pharao "I plow;" Latin ferire "to knock, strike," forare "to bore, pierce;" Lithuanian barti "to scold, accuse, forbid;" Old Church Slavonic barjo "to strike, fight," brati "to fight," Russian borot "to overpower;" Albanian brime "hole;" Old English borian "to bore through, perforate," Old Norse berja "to beat, hit," Old High German berjan "to hit, pound, knead."
"surgical perforation of a cavity of the body for the purpose of evacuation of effused fluid," 1590s, from the medical Latin form of Greek parakentēsis "perforation," from parakentein "to tap," literally "to pierce at the side," from para- "beside" (see para- (1)) + kentein "to prick, stab" (see center (n.)).
late 14c., "act of penetrating with a point;" c. 1400, "a perforation, a hole," verbal noun from pierce (v.).
late 14c., "small perforation or wound" made by or as if by a pointed instrument, from Late Latin punctura "a pricking," from Latin punctus, past participle of pungere "to prick, pierce" (from suffixed form of PIE root *peuk- "to prick"). The sense of "act of perforating or piercing" is from mid-15c.
"occlusion of a natural passage in the body, absence of a natural opening or passage," 1807, from Modern Latin atresia, from Greek atretos "not perforated," from a- "not, without" (see a- (3)) + tresis "perforation" (from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn," with derivatives referring to boring and drilling). Related: Atresic.
"detachable forepart of a field-gun carriage," 1620s, alteration of Middle English lymer (early 15c.), earlier lymon (c. 1400), probably from Old French limon "shaft," a word perhaps of Celtic origin, or possibly from Germanic and related to limb (n.1). Compare related Spanish limon "shaft," leman "helmsman."
The nautical limber "hole cut in floor timbers to allow water to drain" (1620s), however, appears to be unrelated; perhaps from French lumière "hole, perforation," literally "light."
late 14c., "minute opening, small orifice, or perforation" in the earth, a tree, the body of a human, animal, or insect, a bone, etc.," from Old French pore (14c.) and directly from Latin porus "a pore," from Greek poros "a pore," literally "passage, way," from PIE *poro- "passage, journey," suffixed form of PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over."
