puncture
Americannoun
-
the act of piercing or perforating, as with a pointed instrument or object.
-
a hole or mark so made.
- Synonyms:
- perforation, rupture, break
-
Zoology. a small pointlike depression.
verb (used with object)
-
to pierce or perforate, as with a pointed instrument.
to puncture leather with an awl.
-
to make (a hole, perforation, etc.) by piercing or perforating.
He punctured a row of holes in the cardboard.
-
to make a puncture in.
A piece of glass punctured the tire.
-
to reduce or diminish as if by piercing; damage; wound.
to puncture a person's pride.
-
to cause to collapse or disintegrate; spoil; ruin.
to puncture one's dream of success.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a small hole made by a sharp object
-
a perforation and loss of pressure in a pneumatic tyre, made by sharp stones, glass, etc
-
the act of puncturing or perforating
verb
-
(tr) to pierce (a hole) in (something) with a sharp object
-
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
-
(tr) to depreciate (a person's self-esteem, pomposity, etc)
Other Word Forms
- nonpuncturable adjective
- puncturable adjective
- punctureless adjective
- puncturer noun
- unpunctured adjective
Etymology
Origin of puncture
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But, aided by Martinez's blunder, Arsenal punctured their momentum with an impressive display that condemned Villa to a first defeat since losing to Liverpool on November 1.
From Barron's
The RAC estimates that a typical repair bill for a family car with damage worse than a puncture from a pothole is £590.
From BBC
Newcastle will have to do so without influential defender Dan Burn, who is out for four to six weeks after breaking a rib and puncturing a lung in the derby.
From BBC
Sheriff officials posted about the incident on social media, sharing a photo of the surfer’s board with several puncture marks from the shark’s teeth.
From Los Angeles Times
Gehry respected the industrial bones while adding sculptural flourishes — punctured facades, angled walls, stepping rooflines, and strange material contrasts, such as lime green tiles next to raw steel columns.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
