pierce
verbnounnouncommon in dialogue
- United States//pɪɹs//
- Australia//pɪəs//
- New Zealand//piəs//
- Scotland//piɹs//
- //pɛːs//
To puncture; to break through.
verb
- 1
To puncture; to break through.
The diver pierced the surface of the water with scarcely a splash.
to pierce the enemy's line
A shot pierced the ship.
I pierce her open back, or tender side
- 2
To create a hole in the skin for the purpose of inserting jewelry.
Can you believe he pierced his tongue?
- 3
to break or interrupt abruptly
A dreadful scream pierced the silence.
- 4
figurativeTo get to the heart or crux of (a matter).
to pierce a mystery
- 5
figurativeTo penetrate; to affect deeply.
A stab of fear pierced my heart.
pierced with grief
Can no prayers pierce thee?
The flatness of the landscape facilitates views right across the Firth of Forth to Fife, before the railway begins to pierce the Edinburgh suburbs.
Etymology
From Middle English perce, from conjugated forms of Old French percier such as (jeo) pierce (“I pierce”), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertūsiō, from Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundō (“thrust or bore through”), from per- (“through”) + tundō (“beat, pound”). Displaced native Old English þȳrlian (literally “to hole”).
noun
- 1
A piercing.
Actually, a navel pierce beautificates any feminine form, as I'm sure it does for you...
When I was considering a tongue pierce, I had to find out as much as I could about it.
Hello , I already have a lip pierce (ring) and want to get another one on the other side of my lip.
noun
- 1
A pierced earring.
Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese ピアス (piasu, “pierced earring”), itself from English pierce.
Forms
- plural
- pierces
- past tense
- pierced
- past participle
- pierced
- present participle
- piercing
- third person singular
- pierces