sievelike

5.7

With many small holes that let things pass through easily

adjective
/ˈsivlaɪk/

: cribriforme

The sievelike structure of the sponge allows water to flow through while trapping dirt and debris.

Examples

The fabric is sievelike, enabling air circulation while keeping larger particles out.
Her sievelike dress design featured numerous small cutouts, making it both stylish and breezy for summer.
Cribellate spiders have a sort of sievelike plate just in front of the paired spinnerets, with hundreds of fine spigots.

Academic text (1994)

Synonyms

holey

vssievelike

1 4.2

Full of holes that let things pass through

emphasizes many small gaps rather than accidental damage

porotic

vssievelike

Specialized

1 9.6

A material like rock or bone that lets air and water pass through

focuses on pores in materials or bone rather than general holes

microporous

vssievelike

Specialized

1 8.7

A material with many tiny holes too small to see without a microscope

refers to many small holes visible without a microscope

cribriform

vssievelike

Specialized

9.9

Having many small holes like a sieve

is a more common term used outside specialized contexts

meshy

vssievelike

6.2

Having many small holes or connected parts like a net

describes separate holes rather than an interlaced net structure

How Porous

leaky

26 1.5

sievelike

5.7

perforated

1 4.3

permeable

4 5.8

impermeable

4 6.6

Surface Forms

sievelike positive

Morphology

sievelike = sieve (transparent) = sieve + like

The adjective is directly formed from the noun 'sieve' with the productive suffix '-like', so its meaning is predictable from 'sieve'.

Etymology

Sievelike comes from sieve, a simple tool with many small holes, plus the ending -like, which means 'similar to'. So something sievelike is 'full of holes' and 'lets things pass through easily', just like a sieve.