pore

¹ American  

[pawr, pohr] / pɔr, poʊr /

verb (used without object)

pores, present (3rd person singular) pored, past participle, past poring present participle

1. to read or study with steady attention or application.

   a scholar poring over a rare old manuscript.

2. to gaze earnestly or steadily.

   to pore over a painting.

3. to meditate or ponder intently (usually followed by over, on, orupon ).

   He pored over the strange events of the preceding evening.

   Synonyms:

   examine, peruse, scrutinize, ponder

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pore ² American  

[pawr, pohr] / pɔr, poʊr /

noun

1. a minute opening or orifice, as in the skin or a leaf, for perspiration, absorption, etc.

2. a minute interstice, as in a rock.

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pore ¹ British  

/ pɔː /

noun

1. anatomy zoology any small opening in the skin or outer surface of an animal

2. botany any small aperture, esp that of a stoma through which water vapour and gases pass

3. any other small hole, such as a space in a rock, soil, etc

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pore ² British  

/ pɔː /

verb

1. (foll by over) to make a close intent examination or study (of a book, map, etc)

   he pored over the documents for several hours

2. to think deeply (about)

   he pored on the question of their future

3. rare to look earnestly or intently (at); gaze fixedly (upon)

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pore Scientific  

/ pôr /

1. A tiny opening, as one in an animal's skin or on the surface of a plant leaf or stem, through which liquids or gases may pass.

2. A space in soil, rock, or loose sediment that is not occupied by mineral matter and allows the passage or absorption of fluids, such as water, petroleum, or air.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• porelike
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has pored
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have pored
  perfect
• is poring
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am poring
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been poring
  perfect progressive
• poring
  participle
• are poring
  progressive
• pores
  singular 3rd person
• has been poring
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had pored
  perfect
• were poring
  progressive plural
• was poring
  progressive singular
• pored
  participle
• pored
  simple
• had been poring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will pore
  simple
• will have pored
  perfect
• will have been poring
  perfect progressive
• will be poring
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of pore¹

1250–1300; Middle English pouren < ?

Origin of pore²

1350–1400; Middle English poore < Late Latin porus < Greek póros passage; see emporium, ford

Explanation

That trickle of sweat didn't just miraculously appear — it was secreted out of a pore, a really tiny opening on the surface of your skin. When used as a noun, pore means any tiny hole or opening that allows the passage of liquid. In humans, pores are the little holes that bring us such pleasures as armpit sweat and, when clogged, pimples. But when used as a verb, to pore means to concentrate your attention on or devote hours of focus to something: like poring over the overwhelming choices in the antiperspirant aisle.

Example Sentences

With no earnings to pore over, investors will be focused on the economic data—and what they have seen recently looks troublesome.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

"I've seen the tests that they've done of Ozzy and you can see every pore on his face, his beard's coming through, it's that detailed," she said.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

Weyerhaeuser trained an AI model to pore over drone footage and calculate seedling survival rates, which are typically obtained by sending foresters to count twiggy young trees in rugged or sweltering terrain.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Surveillance software sprouted in every cranny of the ballpark, first in service of providing more data for teams and front offices to pore over, then as fuel for ever more esoteric betting propositions.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

She used dry eyeliner, liquid eyeliner, lip liner, lip conditioner, a frosted highlighter, and a pore minimizer.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides