pier

American  

[peer] / pɪər /

noun

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

• underpier noun

Etymology

Origin of pier

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

Example Sentences

He said the team had painstakingly recreated recognisable elements of the town, such as the winding alleyways and the texture of the piers.

From BBC

As they began “Twenty-three Raggedy Anns on the shelf” for the second time, Abby’s tree collided with the remains of an old fishing pier.

From Literature

Australia’s government is investing about $5.6 billion in Stirling for things like a training center, housing, improvements to the submarine pier, a facility to handle radioactive waste, and power.

From The Wall Street Journal

A black, polished sliding door delivers you into a reception room whose pomp is disciplined by marble piers, dark patinated-bronze framing panels, and—most memorably—walls sheathed in gold mosaic and red marble.

From The Wall Street Journal

Part of a historic pier has washed away as Storm Ingrid brings heavy rain and strong winds to Devon and Cornwall.

From BBC

Related Words

• dam
• dock
• jetty
• promenade
• wharf