SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus
view recents

pore

verb
Save Word
\ ˈpȯr How to pronounce pore (audio) \
pored; poring

Definition of pore

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to gaze intently
2 : to read or study attentively —usually used with over
3 : to reflect or meditate steadily

pore

noun

Definition of pore (Entry 2 of 2)

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
Other Words from pore Example Sentences Learn More about pore

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from pore

Noun

pored \ ˈpȯrd How to pronounce pore (audio) \ adjective

Examples of pore in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb During any other January, WIRED staffers would gather in Las Vegas to pore over the latest gadgets at CES, the biggest consumer electronics event of the year. — Wired Staff, Wired, "Watch Highlights From WIRED's CES Conversations," 15 Jan. 2021 Those numbers are likely to grow as internet sleuths pore over photos and video the insurrectionists took of the riots and posted to social media. — Chris Joyner, ajc, "Georgia man among those facing federal charges from Capitol riot," 9 Jan. 2021 Parliament had six weeks to pore over the withdrawal treaty that provided the basis for Brexit in 2019, for instance, and spent months debating major pieces of legislation related to European integration when Britain was a member state. — Jason Douglas, WSJ, "U.K. Lawmakers Approve Brexit Trade Deal, Cementing EU Exit," 30 Dec. 2020 From there, the number of kits that could unlock unsolved cases grew even smaller, as investigators began to pore over the DNA results arriving in monthly batches from the lab. — Anchorage Daily News, "After 3 years and $1.5 million devoted to testing rape kits, Alaska made one new arrest," 30 Dec. 2020 Doctors and scientists on the agency’s staff pore over the study results. — Los Angeles Times, "The FDA didn’t ‘approve’ Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s why," 12 Dec. 2020 An advisory group of independent scientists and other experts will pore over the data on Thursday before voting on whether to recommend emergency use authorization for the Moderna offering. — Amina Khan Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Coronavirus Today: We’re not out of the woods yet," 15 Dec. 2020 But as scientists continue to pore over every bend, crack, and rock in this system, many mysteries have arisen. — Science, "Why Mount Everest keeps changing its height," 8 Dec. 2020 At her grandmother’s house, Erica would pore through her grandmother’s copies of Southern Living magazine and her assortment of cookbooks, looking for recipes to try. — Michelle Matthews | Mmatthews@al.com, al, "Erica Barrett is building a Southern culinary empire," 1 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun To do so, the researchers created a silicon oxide surface with lots of pores, then placed a platinum catalyst at the base of each pore. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "If recycling plastics isn’t making sense, remake the plastics," 18 Oct. 2020 This foundation incorporates berry extract for hydration, along with a formula that delivers a flawless, pore-blurring finish. — Akili King, Vogue, "15 of the Best Foundations for Dry Skin to Try This Winter," 9 Dec. 2020 Still, Acura clearly spent more money on the cabin, particularly the instrument panel, which is trimmed in aluminum, open-pore wood and full-grain Milano leather. — Tribune News Service, cleveland, "Is Acura’s 2021 TLX good enough to be Legend-worthy? (review)," 2 Jan. 2021 To no one’s surprise anymore, the SXP X-Line sets a fine table inside: open-pore wood trim, lustrous metal accents, quilt-pattern leather seat upholstery that would make grandma misty. — Dan Neil, WSJ, "2021 Kia Sorento: Finally, an SUV That’s the Right Size for Families," 16 Dec. 2020 Use a pore strip first and follow by applying a salicylic acid gel before bed. — Dori Price, Good Housekeeping, "How to Get Rid of Blackheads, According to Skincare Pros and Dermatologists," 1 Dec. 2020 Try pore strips to get rid of blackheads on your nose. — Dori Price, Good Housekeeping, "How to Get Rid of Blackheads, According to Skincare Pros and Dermatologists," 1 Dec. 2020 So when those dead skin cells are swept away by a BHA, pore-clogging oil goes with them. — Julie Ricevuto, Allure, "The Science of Beauty: Acids for Skin Care Ingredient Guide," 19 Nov. 2020 Many products contain alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to slough away pore cloggers and exfoliate the top layer of your skin, but these can be irritating. — Audrey Noble, Seventeen, "How to Figure Out Your Skin Type—And Why You Should Care," 26 Oct. 2020

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.

See More

First Known Use of pore

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for pore

Verb

Middle English pouren

Noun

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about pore

Time Traveler for pore

Time Traveler

The first known use of pore was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Statistics for pore

Last Updated

1 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Pore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pore. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.

Style: MLA
MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for pore

pore

noun

English Language Learners Definition of pore

: 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.

See the full definition for pore in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pore

verb
\ ˈpȯr How to pronounce pore (audio) \
pored; poring

Kids Definition of pore

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: to read with great attention : study I pored over my book.

pore

noun

Kids Definition of pore (Entry 2 of 2)

: a tiny opening (as in the skin)

pore

noun
\ ˈpō(ə)r, ˈpȯ(ə)r How to pronounce pore (audio) \

Medical Definition of pore

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

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on pore

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pore

Nglish: Translation of pore for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of pore for Arabic Speakers

Comments on pore

What made you want to look up pore? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

slipshod

Listen to the pronunciation of slipshod

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

More Confusing Words—Quiz

  • cats on impossible timber
  • The magician ______ moved the selected card to the top of the deck.
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
AlphaBear 2

Spell words. Make bears.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games