pierce
verb /pɪəs/
/pɪrs/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they pierce | /pɪəs/ /pɪrs/ |
| he / she / it pierces | /ˈpɪəsɪz/ /ˈpɪrsɪz/ |
| past simple pierced | /pɪəst/ /pɪrst/ |
| past participle pierced | /pɪəst/ /pɪrst/ |
| -ing form piercing | /ˈpɪəsɪŋ/ /ˈpɪrsɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] to make a small hole in something, or to go through something, with a sharp object
- pierce something The arrow pierced his shoulder.
- He pierced another hole in his belt with his knife.
- to have your ears/nose, etc. pierced (= to have a small hole made in your ears/nose, etc. so that you can wear jewellery there)
- (figurative) She was pierced to the heart with guilt.
- pierce through something The knife pierced through his coat.
- The narrowed blue eyes seemed to pierce right through her.
- [transitive, intransitive] pierce (through) something (literary) (of light, sound, etc.) to be suddenly seen or heard
- Sirens pierced the silence of the night.
- Shafts of sunlight pierced the heavy mist.
- [transitive, intransitive] pierce (through) something to force a way through a barrier synonym penetrate
- They failed to pierce the Liverpool defence.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French percer, based on Latin pertus- ‘bored through’, from the verb pertundere, from per ‘through’ + tundere ‘thrust’.