pore
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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pores,
present (3rd person singular)
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pored,
past participle, past
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poring
present participle
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to read or study with steady attention or application.
a scholar poring over a rare old manuscript.
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to gaze earnestly or steadily.
to pore over a painting.
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to meditate or ponder intently (usually followed by over, on, orupon ).
He pored over the strange events of the preceding evening.
- Synonyms:
- examine, peruse, scrutinize, ponder
noun
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pores
plural
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a minute opening or orifice, as in the skin or a leaf, for perspiration, absorption, etc.
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a minute interstice, as in a rock.
noun
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anatomy zoology any small opening in the skin or outer surface of an animal
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botany any small aperture, esp that of a stoma through which water vapour and gases pass
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any other small hole, such as a space in a rock, soil, etc
verb
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(foll by over) to make a close intent examination or study (of a book, map, etc)
he pored over the documents for several hours
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to think deeply (about)
he pored on the question of their future
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rare to look earnestly or intently (at); gaze fixedly (upon)
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A tiny opening, as one in an animal's skin or on the surface of a plant leaf or stem, through which liquids or gases may pass.
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A space in soil, rock, or loose sediment that is not occupied by mineral matter and allows the passage or absorption of fluids, such as water, petroleum, or air.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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poresimple
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poressimple
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have poredperfect
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has poredperfect
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am poringprogressive
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are poringprogressive
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is poringprogressive
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have been poringperfect progressive
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has been poringperfect progressive
Past
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poredsimple
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had poredperfect
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was poringprogressive
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were poringprogressive
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had been poringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pore1
1250–1300; Middle English pouren < ?
Origin of pore2
1350–1400; Middle English poore < Late Latin porus < Greek póros passage; see emporium, ford
Explanation
That trickle of sweat didn't just miraculously appear — it was secreted out of a pore, a really tiny opening on the surface of your skin. When used as a noun, pore means any tiny hole or opening that allows the passage of liquid. In humans, pores are the little holes that bring us such pleasures as armpit sweat and, when clogged, pimples. But when used as a verb, to pore means to concentrate your attention on or devote hours of focus to something: like poring over the overwhelming choices in the antiperspirant aisle.
Vocabulary lists containing pore
"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell
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Commonly Confused Words, List 2
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Front Desk
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The major networks each have their own decision desk where statisticians, political scientists and analysts pore over vote counts, historical trends and polling to determine a winner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
Although the rocks do contain substantial pore space, the researchers found that their widespread internal fractures were equally important to understanding how they retain and release heat.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
His film has ill will spewing from every pore, a complete loathing for humanity.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
It became a daily ritual: Danielle Elzayat would pore over satellite images circulated by neighbors and family to find the house her father built—until one day, there was only rubble.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
“You used to pore over them for hours, when you were sick in bed.”
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
When starting a new treatment, some people can also experience skin purging: breakouts that happen when a product quickly brings clogged pores to the surface of the skin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
He pores over data every month about how people in the company are doing when it comes to key metrics such as innovation scores, growth and engagement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Visible pores, blackheads, blemishes, pigmentation, redness and scarring are all very normal for teenage skin, says Dr Kentley.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
At the start of frying, the tiny pores inside a potato are still filled with water, leaving little room for oil.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
He brought out a stack of well-used, hopefully not lead-tainted, wood blocks, then leaned in so close to me, I could see the pores in his face.
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
In creating “Actually, Nevermind,” Tomlinson pored through her mother’s diary, deciding to include a few excerpts in the finished book.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Next week's results from Microsoft, Meta and Amazon will be pored over for their capital spending plans.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
To decide what to fund, staffers with deep expertise typically pored over reams of information on abuses under the most repressive regimes and held an open competition to fund groups to work in those countries.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
In public, every move he makes is being pored over to an incredible degree.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
The world’s greatest biological thinkers, having pored over the problem of heredity, had scarcely advanced the field beyond the cryptic musings of two men who had lived on two Greek islands two thousand years earlier.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
It left Kevin poring over clues for who might be responsible.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
I spent weeks at a time poring over old social media posts.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
It requires poring over difficult books and patiently listening to what others have to say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
One evening, poring through the picturesque archives at the Yale Club while researching her monograph on memory and mind palace theory, Béatrice stumbles upon a curious audiotape.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
She spends a few hours poring over them and jotting notes.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
