pierce
verbEtymology
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”).
- derived from pertūsus
- derived from *pertūsiō✻
- derived from percier
- inherited from perce
Definitions
To puncture
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
To create a hole in the skin for the purpose of inserting jewelry.
- Can you believe he pierced his tongue?
to break or interrupt abruptly
- A dreadful scream pierced the silence.
›+ 6 more definitionsshow fewer
To get to the heart or crux of (a matter).
- to pierce a mystery
To penetrate
To penetrate; to affect deeply.
- A stab of fear pierced my heart.
- pierced with grief
- Can no prayers pierce thee?
A pierced earring.
A male given name from Ancient Greek, medieval variant of Piers. Modern usage may also…
A male given name from Ancient Greek, medieval variant of Piers. Modern usage may also derive from the surname.
A surname originating as a patronymic.
A number of places in the United States
A number of places in the United States:
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
A definitional loop anchored at pierce. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.
A definitional loop anchored at pierce. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.
7 hops · closes at pierce
curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA