pore

play

verb \ ˈpȯr \

Definition of pore

pored; poring

intransitive verb

1 :to gaze intently

2 :to read or study attentively —usually used with over

3 :to reflect or meditate steadily

See pore defined for English-language learners

See pore defined for kids

Recent Examples of pore from the Web

Having spent endless hours poring over ’60s Vogues and becoming especially curious about Rubartelli and his models, his Instagram diary left me spellbound and eager to know more.

— Vogue, "Photographer Franco Rubartelli Talks to Vogue About Love, Veruschka, and Diana Vreeland," 29 Aug. 2017
While the United States hasn’t had a dictator (yet, anyway), one doesn’t have to pore over the volumes of our national history for very long before coming across pages that have been singed by fascism.

— aaron carico, Teen Vogue, "5 Ways Fascism Has Existed in America Since the 1700s," 28 Aug. 2017
Amongst everything else that's going on in the world these days, the internet has found time to pore over Kendall Jenner's Twitter feed.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "Kendall Jenner Is In Hot Water For Her... Emoji Choice," 21 Aug. 2017
Using specialized software that flags cases where intimidation is likely, the investigators pore over recorded jail calls and online social networks.

— john diedrich, jsonline.com, "'No face, no case': How one man tried to permanently silence the witnesses to his crimes," 18 Aug. 2017
HBO Is Falling, part 1, part 2, and part 3—but we haven't yet been able to pore through their contents.

— sebastian anthony, Ars Technica, "Game of Thrones script for “Spoils of War” leaks after HBO hack," 3 Aug. 2017
In particular, Census officials set a goal of having in-house employees verify 75% of the nation’s housing units by poring over satellite imagery and other data from commercial mapping services.

— jeffrey mervis, Science | AAAS, "Money, politics, and abandoned homes: Why the 2020 Census might be in jeopardy," 24 July 2017
During Monday evening, trustees pored through that draft, a measure that would formalize existing practices surrounding residents' immigration status.

— deborah kadin, chicagotribune.com, "Debate continues as River Forest works through welcoming community process," 11 July 2017
Then, the team pored over frog fossils to anchor genetic changes in frogs to specific points in time.

— tia ghose senior writer, Fox News, "Dinosaur extinction allowed frogs to conquer the planet," 6 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of pore

Middle English pouren

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

pore

noun

Definition of pore

1 :a minute opening especially in an animal or plant; especially :one by which matter passes through a membrane

2 :a small interstice (as in soil) admitting absorption or passage of liquid

—

pored

adjective

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Recent Examples of pore from the Web

Fluorescent, flickering light revealed every imperfect pore, blemish, and split end.

— cassie shortsleeve, Teen Vogue, "Why Being Rejected From a Sorority Is the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me," 26 Aug. 2017
The lotion doesn't clog pores and works with people suffering from exzema or dry skin from diabetes or dialysis.

— william thornton, AL.com, "John Bryan celebrates 20 years of Skin Repair Lotion," 25 Aug. 2017
The products include a pore minimizing cleaner, micro-exfoliant, firming phyto-lift serum, anti-aging lip and eye treatments, moisturizer with SPF 15, intensive moisturizer and firming neck and decollete cream.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville sisters turn back the clock with line of anti-aging products," 18 Aug. 2017
In a process called transpiration, plants release water vapor from small pores on the underside of their leaves.

— ilima loomis, Science | AAAS, "Trees in the Amazon make their own rain," 4 Aug. 2017
Originally created by a dermatological chemist for Hollywood elites, GLAMGLOW detoxifies skin and minimizes pores.

— by bianca r. montes photo by ross hailey, star-telegram, "About-Face: 7 different facial masks for various skin types," 2 Aug. 2017
Neely Moldovan did not mention it to her thousands of followers in her latest blog post, which concerned post-pregnancy pore troubles.

— avi selk, chicagotribune.com, "Couple loses legal fight against wedding photographer, ordered to pay $1 million," 1 Aug. 2017
Neely Moldovan did not mention it to her thousands of followers in her latest blog post, which concerned post-pregnancy pore troubles.

— avi selk, Washington Post, "They trashed their wedding photographer over a $125 fee, so a jury told them to pay her $1 million," 1 Aug. 2017
This will close up your pores, which will help avoid irritation.

— scott christian, Esquire, "Use this Razor to Get the Best Shave of Your Life," 28 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of pore

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin porus, from Greek poros passage, pore — more at fare

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

PORE Defined for English Language Learners

pore

noun

Definition of pore for English Language Learners

: a very small opening on the surface of your skin that liquid comes out through when you sweat
: a small opening on the surface of a plant, a rock, etc.