puncture

[puhngk-cher]

noun

1. the act of piercing or perforating, as with a pointed instrument or object.

2. a hole or mark so made.

   Synonyms: perforation, rupture, break

3. Zoology.,  a small pointlike depression.

verb (used with object)

punctured, puncturing 

1. to pierce or perforate, as with a pointed instrument.

   to puncture leather with an awl.

2. to make (a hole, perforation, etc.) by piercing or perforating.

   He punctured a row of holes in the cardboard.

3. to make a puncture in.

   A piece of glass punctured the tire.

4. to reduce or diminish as if by piercing; damage; wound.

   to puncture a person's pride.

5. to cause to collapse or disintegrate; spoil; ruin.

   to puncture one's dream of success.

verb (used without object)

punctured, puncturing 

1. to become punctured.

   These tires do not puncture easily.

puncture

/ ˈpʌŋktʃə /

noun

1. a small hole made by a sharp object

2. a perforation and loss of pressure in a pneumatic tyre, made by sharp stones, glass, etc

3. the act of puncturing or perforating

verb

1. (tr) to pierce (a hole) in (something) with a sharp object

2. to cause (something pressurized, esp a tyre) to lose pressure by piercing, or (of a tyre, etc) to be pierced and collapse in this way

3. (tr) to depreciate (a person's self-esteem, pomposity, etc)

Other Word Forms

• puncturable adjective
• punctureless adjective
• puncturer noun
• nonpuncturable adjective
• unpunctured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of puncture¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin pūnctūra “a pricking,” from pūnct(us) “pierced” (past participle of pungere “to pierce”; pungent ) + -ūra -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of puncture¹

C14: from Latin punctūra, from pungere to prick

Example Sentences

At night, crews trained a searchlight across dark waters infested with so-called growlers—low-floating chunks of ice the size of trucks that can puncture ships.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This protein punctures the membrane of target cells, leading to their death.

Read more on Science Daily

In 1955 John Kenneth Galbraith punctured one of the strangely enduring myths about the aftermath: that there was a wave of suicides.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"A direct impact with bone can cause really significant puncture type wounds, absolutely they are deadly weapons," he said.

Read more on BBC

Sedaghat told a video news outlet that believed he was targeted and that the suspects may have punctured his tires with a knife to get him to pull over, according to KTLA.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deflate 
• penetrate 
• perforate 
• prick 
• riddle 
• rupture