pier

American  

[peer] / pɪər /

noun

• piers
  plural

1. a structure built on posts extending from land out over water, used as a landing place for ships, an entertainment area, a strolling place, etc.; jetty.

2. (in a bridge or the like) a support for the ends of adjacent spans.

3. a square pillar.

4. a portion of wall between doors, windows, etc.

5. a pillar or post on which a gate or door is hung.

6. a support of masonry, steel, or the like for sustaining vertical pressure.

7. a long passageway or corridor that extends from a central area of a building, especially one at an airport that leads to boarding gates.

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pier British  

/ pɪə /

noun

1. a structure with a deck that is built out over water, and used as a landing place, promenade, etc

2. a pillar that bears heavy loads, esp one of rectangular cross section

3. the part of a wall between two adjacent openings

4. another name for buttress

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• underpier
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• piers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of pier

before 1150; Middle English pere, earlier (perhaps late Old English ) per < Anglo-Latin pera, pēra pier of a bridge

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Explanation

A pier is a platform reaching out to sea that can be used as a landing place for ships. If you enjoy sea fishing and don't have a boat, try casting your line from the end of the pier. Pier has two meanings. The most common is for the platform, often wooden, that extends over water away from shore, so that ships can dock. Many seaside towns have turned their piers into entertainment districts, with games and places to stroll. A pier can also be a pillar that supports a bridge.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pier piers

The waterfront residence boasts sweeping views of the bay, along with a private boathouse and pier.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

In August, a hammerhead shark was spotted off the Malibu pier, just below the surface of the water.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

She was checking people in on the pier for a separate boat tour to Sazan on a replica galleon that advertises the opportunity to “be a pirate for a day.”

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

Speed boats and yachts dock along the pier.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Woo is at the edge of the pier, watching the water surge through the canal.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Two of the strongest El Niños in the last 75 years were associated with extensive damage to the Southern California coast, battering homes, flooding streets and damaging piers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

The 1982-83 winter season, which coincided with a very strong El Niño, was historically destructive for California’s coast, with storms wrecking the Santa Monica and Seal Beach piers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

DUBAI—Before the Iran war, 40,000 shipping containers a day moved through Jebel Ali port, a sprawling complex of deep-water piers and warehouses that powered this city-state’s rise from backwater to international powerhouse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

But on either side stood empty piers whose planned allegorical statues by French had yet to be cast in bronze, much less installed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

Around its piers, the water rippled white as the foam from a madman’s mouth.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

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Related Words

• dam
• dock
• jetty
• promenade
• wharf

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