pierce

Study(18)

/pɪɹs/

verb 5name 5noun 1

Collocations

ADJ.

mighty, open, ordinary, over, piercing, pure

A piercing cry echoed through the empty hallway and made everyone jump.

VERB + PIERCE

appeared, can't, climb, don't, eyes, going, let

Her dark eyes pierce through the crowd whenever she enters a room.

PIERCE + NOUN

anything, belly, button, dragon's, ear, enemy's, nose, sand

She pierced her belly button last summer with her best friend at the mall.

PREP.

in, on, with

A needle pierced through the fabric as she sewed the button on.

ADV.

finally

The morning sunlight finally pierced through the thick clouds after days of rain.

Definitions

verb

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

To create a hole in the skin for the purpose of inserting jewelry.

Can you believe he pierced his tongue?

to break or interrupt abruptly

A dreadful scream pierced the silence.

To get to the heart or crux of (a matter).

to pierce a mystery

To penetrate; to affect deeply.

A stab of fear pierced my heart.

pierced with grief

noun

A pierced earring.

name

A male given name from Ancient Greek, medieval variant of Piers. Modern usage may also derive from the surname.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

A number of places in the United States:

Thesaurus

Synonyms

verb — penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument

thrust

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

Example Bank

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

Wiktionary

to pierce the enemy's line; a shot pierced the ship

Wiktionary

I pierce her open back, or tender side

Wiktionary

If a high hill stood between A and B, it was important to decide whether the line should climb over it, pierce it with a tunnel, or make a detour to avoid it.

Tatoeba · #30848

Pierce was elected in 1852.

Tatoeba · #806948

Pierce wanted to run for re-election.

Tatoeba · #807291

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, pierce is marked as figuratively. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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