pierce

verb

pierced; piercing

transitive verb

1
a
: to run into or through as a pointed weapon does : stab
b
: to enter or thrust into sharply or painfully
2
: to make a hole through : perforate
3
: to force or make a way into or through
4
: to penetrate with the eye or mind : discern
5
: to penetrate so as to move or touch the emotions of

intransitive verb

: to force a way into or through something
piercer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for pierce

enter, penetrate, pierce, probe mean to make way into something.

enter is the most general of these and may imply either going in or forcing a way in.

entered the city in triumph

penetrate carries a strong implication of an impelling force or compelling power that achieves entrance.

the enemy penetrated the fortress

pierce means an entering or cutting through with a sharp pointed instrument.

pierced the boil with a lancet

probe implies penetration to investigate or explore something hidden from sight or knowledge.

probed the depths of the sea

Examples of pierce in a Sentence

The needle pierced her skin. The bullet pierced his lung. The needle pierced into her skin. The bullet pierced through his lung. A scream pierced the silence.
Recent Examples on the Web Draped with hanging vines, pierced with sunlight beams from openings to the sky, and hushed with stony silence, these natural wonders are a must-visit in Tulum. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2024 His graying, thinning hair, tense figure and pouchy eyes could pierce Larry’s otherwise impenetrable ego. Boris Kachka, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Before placing your eggs in the boiling water, pierce them at the bottom with an egg piercer. Benjamin Liong Setiawan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 One of the shots, police said in a statement, pierced the trunk of the car, went through the passenger compartment and hit the 3-year-old. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Their storytelling session — monitored closely by Adem, to ensure no aspects of it undermine his bravery or leadership — is interrupted by a piercing shriek. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 8 Feb. 2024 Pieces of glass rained down, piercing her shoulder and foot. Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024 This can be defined as the process by which attackers only need to find one hole, one novel threat, in order to break down and pierce even the best-defended of networks, whereas defenders have no margin for error and must deploy the best defenses at all times. Davey Winder, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 At a carnival-like campaign event in Tegal, also in Central Java, complete with live music, door prizes, and bouncy castles, hundreds of fans in baby-blue shirts featuring Mr. Prabowo’s AI avatar braved the piercing heat to attend. Kate Lamb, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pierce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English percen, from Anglo-French percer, from Vulgar Latin *pertusiare, from Latin pertusus, past participle of pertundere to perforate, from per- through + tundere to beat — more at per-, contusion

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pierce was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pierce

Cite this Entry

“Pierce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pierce. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pierce

verb
pierced; piercing
1
a
: to run into or through as a pointed weapon does : stab
b
: to enter or thrust into sharply or painfully
2
: to make a hole in or through
have one's ears pierced
3
: to force or make a way into or through
pierce the enemy's line
4
: to penetrate with the eye or mind : see through
5
: to stir the emotions of : move
piercer noun

Legal Definition

pierce

transitive verb
pierced; piercing
: to see through the usually misleading or false appearance of
the object of summary judgment is to pierce the pleadings and allow a judgment on the meritsJ. H. Friedenthal et al.
the Internal Revenue Service may attempt to pierce the plain meaning of the agreementW. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.

Biographical Definition

Pierce

biographical name

Franklin 1804–1869 14th president of the U.S. (1853–57)

More from Merriam-Webster on pierce

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