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

In Essex, people can watch the partial eclipse from Southend-on-Sea pier, Munnings Museum in Dedham hosts an event and Loughton Astronomical Society is holding another at Theydon Bois village green.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Broadcast partners will set up studios on the city’s iconic pier.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

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

Surfside Beach has had its share of fierce debates, including over a budget-busting pier replacement and a new ban on feeding wildlife.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

We drive through the crowded, sunny streets of downtown Seattle, and we arrive at the pier just as the Seattle-Bainbridge Island ferry is boarding.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

Shaking from a quake could damage wharves, piers, buildings and roadway above the seawall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

DUBAI—Before the Iran war, 40,000 shipping containers a day moved through Jebel Ali port, a sprawling complex of deep-water piers and warehouses that powered this city-state’s rise from backwater to international powerhouse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 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

Images on social media showed one of its supporting stone piers was leaning at an angle and part of the metalwork had twisted and fallen into the river.

From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2025

Out in the river, a few feet away, the punt lay against the weedy piers.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• dam
• dock
• jetty
• promenade
• wharf