pierce

verb \ ˈpirs \

Definition of pierce

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

See pierce defined for English-language learners

See pierce defined for kids

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 of pierce from the Web

Online: KIROTV.com is livestreaming the event starting 9 a.m. Sunday That bubble was pierced in March when it was announced that KIRO would stop broadcasting the races.

— nathan joyce, The Seattle Times, "What’s the state of the sport of hydroplane racing?," 3 Aug. 2017
Bennington's voice could soar with piercing strength or descend to a whisper.

— Bloomberg.com, "Linkin Park Frontman Chester Bennington Dies in LA At 41," 20 July 2017
Using a needle, pierce a hole through the center of the template and the two center covers.

— jenny w. chan, Good Housekeeping, "This DIY Fidget Spinner Is So Much Prettier Than the Store-Bought Kind," 30 June 2017
Watch the one that first caught our eye here and enjoy the following slow and fast piercing videos below.

— sarah wu, Teen Vogue, "Watch These Slow-Motion Videos of Piercings," 29 June 2017
Alicia’s single-minded pursuit of McBurney stands in stark contrast to the sadness and diffidence that clings to Edwina, whom Dunst, Coppola’s most reliable muse, plays with piercing vulnerability.

— justin chang, star-telegram.com, "The Civil War-set ‘The Beguiled’ patiently weaves an intoxicating spell," 28 June 2017
Place them on a baking sheet and roast them until a fork easily pierces them, about 35 minutes for medium-size potatoes.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina recipe | ROC," 27 June 2017
Nearly 4 in 10 people born after 1980 have a tattoo and 1 in 4 has a piercing someplace other than an earlobe, the Pew Research Center has reported.

— marsha mercer, Washington Post, "How safe and sanitary is ‘body art’? Laws regulating tattoos, piercing vary widely.," 25 June 2017
The bullet that pierced Case's abdomen penetrated part of his intestine just below the stomach.

— bill bird, Naperville Sun, "Amtrak conductor shot in Naperville continues recovery, 'doing very well'," 19 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pierce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pierce

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

pierce Synonyms

Synonyms

access, penetrate, enter

Antonyms

depart, exit, leave

Related Words

barge (in), breeze (in), burst (in or into), waltz (in); drop in, pop (in); stray (into), wander (into); crash, encroach, gate-crash, infiltrate, infringe, intrude, invade, trespass

Near Antonyms

fill, patch, plug, seal

Synonym Discussion of 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

Pierce

biographical name \ ˈpirs \

Definition of Pierce

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

PIERCE Defined for English Language Learners

pierce

verb

Definition of pierce for English Language Learners

: to make a hole in or through (something)
: to go through or into (something) in a forceful or noticeable way

PIERCE Defined for Kids

pierce

verb \ ˈpirs \

Definition of pierce for Students

pierced; piercing

1 :to make a hole in or through or as if in or through

I had my ears pierced.

A stab of fear pierced his heart.

2 :to force or make a way into or through

The sunshine pierced through their faded dresses …
—Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie

Law Dictionary

pierce

transitive verb

legal Definition of pierce

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 merits
—J. H. Friedenthal et al.

the Internal Revenue Service may attempt to pierce the plain meaning of the agreement
—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.

— pierce the corporate veil

:to disregard the corporate entity and reach the personal assets of the corporation's controlling parties :hold the controlling parties (as officers or shareholders) of a corporation personally liable for wrongful acts or debts of the corporation

a…creditor in New York cannot pierce the corporate veil solely on grounds of inadequate capitalization
—R. C. Clark

— compare corporate immunity at immunity

Note: An action to pierce the corporate veil is usually grounded on the corporation's being an instrumentality or alter ego of the officers or shareholders and on some misuse (as fraud) of the officers' or shareholders' control over the corporation.