pierce

English Online Dictionary. What means pierce‎? What does pierce mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /pɪɹs/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɪəs/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /pɜː(ɹ)s/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)s

Etymology 1

From Middle English perce, from conjugated forms of Old French percier such as (jeo) pierce (“I pierce”), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertūsiō, from Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundō (“thrust or bore through”), from per- (“through”) + tundō (“beat, pound”). Displaced native Old English þȳrlian (literally “to hole”).

Verb

pierce (third-person singular simple present pierces, present participle piercing, simple past and past participle pierced)

1. (transitive) To puncture; to break through.

   The diver pierced the surface of the water with scarcely a splash.

   to pierce the enemy's line; a shot pierced the ship
2. (transitive) To create a hole in the skin for the purpose of inserting jewelry.

   Can you believe he pierced his tongue?

3. (transitive) to break or interrupt abruptly

   A scream pierced the silence.

4. (transitive, figurative) To get to the heart or crux of (a matter).

   to pierce a mystery

5. (transitive, figurative) To penetrate; to affect deeply.

Derived terms

• armor-piercing shot
• piercing

Descendants

• → Dutch: piercing
• → Japanese: ピアス

Translations

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Japanese ピアス (piasu, “pierced earring”), itself from English pierce.

Noun

pierce (plural pierces)

1. (Japan) A pierced earring.

Anagrams

• Peirce, piecer, recipe, recipé