pore

verb \ ˈpȯr \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

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

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See pore defined for kids

Recent Examples of pore from the Web

To design the experimental vaccine, Johnston’s team pored over tumor cells in hundreds of humans and dogs.

— keridwen cornelius, Scientific American, "A Shot against Cancer Slated for Testing in Massive Dog Study," 7 June 2018
Quest Diagnostics pored through more than 10 million urine drug test samples that the company analyzed on behalf of employers.

— sy mukherjee, Fortune, "Far More U.S. Workers Had Positive Drug Tests for Cocaine, Meth, and Marijuana in 2017 Than the Year Before," 9 May 2018
West Virginia’s Warner, who spent 23 years in the U.S. Army and later worked as a military contractor in Afghanistan, says the Guard airman who’s poring over his election networks brings another key asset to the task: a security clearance.

— nafeesa syeed, Bloomberg.com, "Russians Want to Hack Your Election? Call Out the National Guard," 24 Apr. 2018
Over the next two years, the team traveled the country interviewing people and poring over court documents.

— justin l. mack, Indianapolis Star, "IndyStar journalists who helped put Larry Nassar in jail win major journalism award," 29 Mar. 2018
There were grumbles in all corners of Capitol Hill about the rapid process that has left lawmakers and aides poring through text to see exactly what the bill will do.

— author: mike debonis, erica werner, Anchorage Daily News, "Congress passes budget with little time to spare," 23 Mar. 2018
Sitting powerless, however, while Mueller indicts people in his outer circle, pores over his financial records and looms ever closer to the Oval Office by the week is a scenario that is clearly driving Trump to distraction.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "Mueller pens Trump in as he slips restraints elsewhere," 20 Mar. 2018
Goodwin, who is from Ward, Ark., was tracked down and identified by online sleuths led by Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King, who pored over video of the attack frame by frame, the Post reports.

— doug stanglin, USA TODAY, "White nationalist convicted of beating during Charlottesville Unite the Right rally," 2 May 2018
Over the last few months, Kim says she's spent lots of weekends poring over these ads.

— issie lapowsky, WIRED, "How Russian Facebook Ads Divided and Targeted US Voters Before the 2016 Election," 16 Apr. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

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pored

play \ˈpȯrd\ adjective

See pore defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of pore from the Web

So the researchers concentrated on numerous pores that dot the legs of sea spiders.

— james gorman, New York Times, "Breathe Deep: How the Antarctic Sea Spider Gets Oxygen," 28 May 2018
These containers are covered by semipermeable membranes that have pores too small to allow the bacteria to escape, but just the right size to allow molecules in.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Ingestible Medical Device Can Tell Your Phone What's Happening in Your Gut," 24 May 2018
My go-to cream has hyaluronic acid, which feels like pouring water into your pores.

— maddie aberman, Redbook, "Thandie Newton Shares All Her Beauty and Confidence-Boosting Secrets," 22 May 2018
While the petroleum does help keep your hair in place, it has been known to clog pores and stunt growth.

— alexander-julian gibbson, GQ, "How to Get Waves," 25 May 2018
Carbon dioxide also causes stomates, pores in plant leaves, to close.

— umair irfan, Vox, "The weird power of rising carbon dioxide to make rice less nutritious," 24 May 2018
On one side of the spectrum is the full-coverage, super-glam makeup that conceals every pore and blemish.

— leah prinzivalli, Allure, "Woman Flawlessly Covers Her Acne Using Entirely Fenty Beauty Makeup," 22 May 2018
Liquid Organic Fertilizers Plants can absorb liquid fertilizers through both their roots and through leaf pores.

— the editors of organic life, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need To Know About Organic Fertilizer," 10 Mar. 2017
These include definitions for what kinds of rocks look like beef, bacon and chicken and suggest stones should appear to have fatty meat, lean meat and skin, with pores, to be considered high-quality.

— te-ping chen, WSJ, "If You’re Collecting Rocks, Might as Well Find Ones That Look Like Meat," 13 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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.