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

Etymology

Origin of pier

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

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 pier receives an average of 27,000 to 38,000 visitors per day, translating to more than 10 million visitors annually, according to Pacific Park.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

In 1956 a fire at Bush Terminal’s 35th Street pier, not far from Gowanus, produced what was then one of the largest explosions in New York’s history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

In May 2021, a 17-year-old’s birthday party announcement went viral on TikTok, resulting in more than 2,000 partygoers converging along the Huntington Beach pier and downtown area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

After visiting the cemetery and "Door of Europe", he was due to go to the pier where people rescued at sea by the coastguard or charity ships are brought to safety.

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026

Back on the pier, John Harvey and Dixie had gone.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

It sits not on a foundation but on helical piers screwed into the ground.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

But in 1982-83, when another super El Niño occurred, storms destroyed multiple piers and ripped away a 400-foot section of the Santa Monica Pier.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

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 ● Feb. 16, 2026

Across the narrow strip of water, AFP could see the skyline of the Chinese city of Xiamen, the piers of China's unfinished Xiamen-Kinmen bridge and Xiamen's new international airport, due to open next year.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025

She tottered past the docks, where a few small fishing boats and merchant ships were moored to the tipsy piers.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Related Words

• dam
• dock
• jetty
• promenade
• wharf