piercing
loud or shrill, as the quality of a voice.
extremely cold or bitter: a piercing wind.
an act or instance of making a hole or opening in something: The cleverly engineered design allows for a safe and smooth piercing of the hose for an easy, watertight installation.
the practice or technique of puncturing a body part so that jewelry can be inserted: The shop is super clean and they're obviously experts in piercing.
a hole or opening made by puncturing: The five wall piercings were possibly a reference to the Five Holy Wounds of Christ.An infected navel piercing can usually be treated with antibiotics.
a ring, stud, or other piece of jewelry inserted through a hole in a body part: He wears five silver piercings on his ears.
Origin of piercing
1Other words for piercing
Other words from piercing
- pierc·ing·ly, adverb
- pierc·ing·ness, noun
- un·pierc·ing, adjective
Words Nearby piercing
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use piercing in a sentence
The convergence of their paths sets off a series of events that Naima Coster traces through the following 20 years in her piercing examination of race, identity and generational trauma.
Mosasaurs commonly had piercing, conical teeth for gripping slippery prey or flat, crushing teeth for smashing hard-shelled animals.
This ancient sea reptile had a slicing bite like no other | Jake Buehler | February 2, 2021 | Science NewsOn April 1, Félicie Joseph, a short Haitian immigrant with piercing eyes, called her friend Esther Pascal after her shift at the Waterloo plant.
As COVID-19 Ravaged This Iowa City, Officials Discovered Meatpacking Executives Were the Ones in Charge | by Michael Grabell and Bernice Yeung | December 21, 2020 | ProPublicaOnce all the piercing is done, the mosquito’s head also has structures to help it suck up as much blood as possible.
Evolution made mosquitos into stealthy, sensitive vampires | Erica McAlister | October 15, 2020 | Popular-ScienceIt’s a sweeping work of care and one that is often piercing in its painful beauty.
“Hell yeah,” he says with a smile and a piercing, blue-eyed stare.
My Bizarre Night With James Deen, Libertarian Porn Star | Emily Shire | November 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThunderous sounds announce its arrival, piercing the silence that accompanies sundown in the swampland near Boystown, Liberia.
Sensitive subjects are met with a short burst of laughter, and serious answers are sandwiched between a piercing gaze.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo | Nina Strochlic | November 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOne of the most piercing observations of the article is that while those who had worked with him trusted Welby, no one knew him.
UK’s No 1 Churchman Doubts Existence of God: The Archbishop of Canterbury Thinks Deep When Running With His Dog | Tim Teeman | September 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHis piercing azure eyes are complemented by a new addition to his appearance: a septum piercing in his nose.
‘Boyhood’ Star Ellar Coltrane: An Astonishing Debut 12 Years in the Making | Kevin Fallon | July 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut I doubt if he feels any particular emotion himself, when he is piercing you through with his rendering.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayRobert uttered a shrill, piercing whistle which might have been heard back at the wharf.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinWe certainly get nothing from that quarter but piercing winds and snow-storms.
Steiner, thirdly, built on a higher model still, and his instruments have a thin piercing tone.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph PearceIt was within an hour of midnight, and the weather being dark and piercing cold, he had no great temptation to loiter.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3) | Charles Dickens
British Dictionary definitions for piercing
/ (ˈpɪəsɪŋ) /
(of a sound) sharp and shrill
(of eyes or a look) intense and penetrating
(of an emotion) strong and deeply affecting
(of cold or wind) intense or biting
the art or practice of piercing body parts for the insertion of jewellery
an instance of the piercing of a body part
Derived forms of piercing
- piercingly, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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