puncturenoun [ C ]
uk/ˈpʌŋk.tʃər/us/ˈpʌŋk.tʃɚ/a small hole made by a sharp object, especially in a tyre:
My bike has had two punctures in the last three weeks.
I (= my car tyre) had a puncture when I was driving back from work.
She had a puncture wound in her arm, from a wasp sting.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Holes, hollows and dips
- aperture
- cleft
- cranny
- dent
- depression
- dimple
- dip
- donga
- eyehole
- intake
- orifice
- perforation
- pinhole
- pit
- porosity
- porous
- riddled
- semipermeable
- tear 1
- wormhole
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punctureverb
uk/ˈpʌŋk.tʃər/us/ˈpʌŋk.tʃɚ/[ I or T ] to make a small hole in something, or to get a small hole in something:
She had used a screwdriver to puncture two holes in the lid of a paint tin.
The knife went through his ribs and punctured his lung.
[ T ] to suddenly make someone less confident or positive:
My positive mood was rather punctured by the news.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Making holes in things
- bore
- breach
- dent
- drill
- gouge
- hole
- perforate
- perforated
- pierce
- piercing
- prick
- probe
- punch
- riddle