pierce

¹

[ peers ]

verb (used with object)

, pierced, pierc·ing.

1. to penetrate into or run through (something), as a sharp, pointed dagger, object, or instrument does.

   Synonyms: puncture, enter

2. to make a hole or opening in.
3. to bore into or through; tunnel.
4. to perforate.
5. to make (a hole, opening, etc.) by or as by boring or perforating.
6. to make a way or path into or through:

   a road that pierces the dense jungle.

7. to penetrate with the eye or mind; see into or through:

   She couldn't pierce his thoughts.

8. to affect sharply with some sensation or emotion, as of cold, pain, or grief:

   The wind pierced her body. Her words pierced our hearts.

   Synonyms: thrill, strike, move, touch

9. to sound sharply through (the air, stillness, etc.):

   A pistol shot pierced the night.

verb (used without object)

, pierced, pierc·ing.

1. to force or make a way into or through something; penetrate:

   to pierce to the heart.

Pierce

²

[ peers ]

noun

1. Franklin, 1804–69, 14th president of the U.S. 1853–57.
2. John Robinson, 1910–2002, U.S. electrical engineer: helped develop communications satellites.
3. a male given name, form of Peter.

Pierce

¹

/ pɪəs /

noun

1. PierceFranklin18041869MUSPOLITICS: statesmanPOLITICS: head of state Franklin. 1804–69, US statesman; 14th president of the US (1853–57)

pierce

²

/ pɪəs /

verb

1. to form or cut (a hole) in (something) with or as if with a sharp instrument
2. to thrust into or penetrate sharply or violently

   the thorn pierced his heel

3. to force (a way, route, etc) through (something)
4. (of light) to shine through or penetrate (darkness)
5. also intr to discover or realize (something) suddenly or (of an idea) to become suddenly apparent
6. (of sounds or cries) to sound sharply through (the silence)
7. to move or affect (a person's emotions, bodily feelings, etc) deeply or sharply

   the cold pierced their bones

8. intr to penetrate or be capable of penetrating

   piercing cold

Derived Forms

• ˈpierceable, adjective
• ˈpiercer, noun

Other Words From

• piercea·ble adjective
• piercer noun
• un·piercea·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pierce¹

1250–1300; Middle English percen < Old French perc ( i ) er < Vulgar Latin *pertūsiāre, verbal derivative of Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundere to bore a hole through, perforate, equivalent to per- per- + tundere to strike, beat

Word History and Origins

Origin of pierce¹

C13 percen, from Old French percer, ultimately from Latin pertundere, from per through + tundere to strike

Synonym Study

Pierce, penetrate suggest the action of one object passing through another or making a way through and into another. The terms are used both concretely and figuratively. To pierce is to perforate quickly, as by stabbing; it suggests the use of a sharp, pointed instrument which is impelled by force: to pierce the flesh with a knife; a scream pierces one's ears. Penetrate suggests a slow or difficult movement: No ordinary bullet can penetrate an elephant's hide; to penetrate the depths of one's ignorance.

Example Sentences

Trains generate so much noise that the deep waves can pierce through.

From Popular-Science

The outage shows the need for backup plans for businesses and schools relying so heavily on it, Pierce said.

From Washington Post

Pierce canceled his inaugural ball and entered office grieving and exhausted.

From Washington Post

The Rams established control after the break, piercing the Mason defense for easy baskets and forcing the hosts into turnovers and missed shots.

From Washington Post

Its leaves produce sugars by photosynthesis, but instead of roots, it has structures that pierce the host tree’s vital tissues to suck out nutrients and water.

From Quanta Magazine

She had low-grade blood poisoning in her ear from the pin she used to pierce it.

From The Daily Beast

PIERCE BROSNAN The Irish actor and ex-James Bond—whose father was Scottish—is cool either way.

From The Daily Beast

Murphy rarely mentions the law in his appearances in this district running from north of Palm Beach to Fort Pierce.

From The Daily Beast

Pierce sounded genuinely anguished about the unintended consequences of the bill he supported.

From The Daily Beast

I thought you were a hoot on Community as the lawyer for the estate of Pierce.

From The Daily Beast

If the hunter venture to come close to such a monster, and his dagger fail to pierce the vital spot, there is no help for him.

From Project Gutenberg

Loftily pierce the tall white minarets into the quivering heavens, while the solemn cypress throws its shade below.

From Project Gutenberg

But one morning the sky was gray and gloomy, and the sun could not pierce through the heavy clouds.

From Project Gutenberg

The vociferous tones pierce my ears, and my heart bleeds at his meaningless declamation.

From Project Gutenberg

No cry of tormented soul shall pierce these walls of stone, much less the heart of man.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Pierce

What does pierce mean?

To pierce something is to penetrate or puncture it, usually with something sharp, making a hole in the process.

This sense of the word is associated with needles and other thin, sharp objects used to pierce surfaces. To pierce someone’s ear is to make a hole in it with a needle so that an earring can be inserted. This is called a piercing.

The word can be used in the context of someone doing the piercing, as in You will need to pierce the skin with this needle, or in the context of an object piercing something, as in The needle pierced the skin. Things that have been pierced can be described with the adjective pierced, as in pierced ears.  

Things that pierce aren’t always sharp. Sometimes, things pierce by penetrating with force. For example, bullets and artillery shells that are designed to pierce protective coverings and shields are described as armor-piercing.

More broadly, pierce can mean to make a hole, opening, tunnel, or path into or through something, as in The mountain is pierced by a long tunnel.  

These literal senses of pierce are the basis of several figurative senses of the word.

Pierce can mean to see into or through, as if penetrating something with the eye or mind, as in Her stare pierced my soul. 

It can also mean to affect intensely or sharply, as in The wind pierced my face or Your writing needs to pierce the reader’s heart. An insult can pierce you in this way—meaning it can cut you deeply.

Similarly, shrill sounds can be said to pierce your ears, the air, or the stillness, and light can be said to pierce the darkness.

The word piercing can also be used as an adjective to describe things that are intense, penetrating, or sharp in a figurative way, as in a piercing wind, a piercing scream, a piercing stare, or a piercing remark.

Example: This tarp is pretty thick, so to pierce it you’ll have to really stab the stake through it forcefully.

Where does pierce come from?

The first records of the word pierce come from the 1200s. It ultimately comes from the Latin verb pertundere, meaning “to bore a hole through” or “to perforate.”

Pierce can be used in many different contexts, both literally and figuratively, but it’s almost always used to indicate that something has gone through something else. In a literal sense, this usually means that a hole or opening has been made, at least temporarily, such as in the skin or in a piece of fabric. In a figurative sense, this usually means that something has deeply penetrated or intensely affected something else.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of pierce?

• pierced (past tense verb, adjective)
• piercing (continuous tense verb, adjective, noun)

What are some synonyms for pierce?

• puncture
• perforate
• penetrate

What are some words that share a root or word element with pierce? 

• piercing saw
• armor-piercing

What are some words that often get used in discussing pierce?

• needle
• ear
• skin
• hole
• sharp
• eyes
• mind
• soul
• wind
• bullet
• armor
• wound

How is pierce used in real life?

Pierce is very commonly used in both literal and figurative contexts and in all kinds of situations.

i wanna pierce my face again but idk where :/

— Jake! (@JakeWebber9) August 30, 2020

I love the feeling of the winter wind piercing my skin

— Anthony La Parry (@ajlaparry) March 2, 2016

As New York recovers from being the epicenter of the worst global pandemic in a century, two bright lights pierce the sky above Manhattan as a reminder of another past tragedy which too changed the fabric of this city forever. pic.twitter.com/1dVnhwZEpS

— Colm Flynn (@ColmFlynn1) September 5, 2020

 

 

Try using pierce!

Which of the following things can be said to pierce?

A. needles
B. knives
C. eyes
D. all of the above