Home / Dictionary / Pierce

Pierce Very Common

Pierce has 9 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

14th President of the United States (1804-1869)

"The president who signed the Emancipation Proclamation was Abraham Lincoln, not Pierce."

2

A pierced earring

"She decided to finally get her ears pierced after years of wearing clip-ons."

Verb
1

cut or make a way through

"the knife cut through the flesh"

"The path pierced the jungle"

"Light pierced through the forest"

2

move or affect (a person's emotions or bodily feelings) deeply or sharply

"The cold pierced her bones"

"Her words pierced the students"

3

sound sharply or shrilly

"The scream pierced the night"

4

penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument

"The needle pierced the fabric to sew the button in place."

5

make a hole into

"The needle pierced her flesh"

6

To puncture; to break through.

"The sharp needle pierced the fabric and broke through to the other side."

In plain English: To pierce something means to make a hole through it with sharp force.

"The sharp arrow pierced through the thick shield and into the warrior's back."

Proper Noun
1

A male given name from Ancient Greek, medieval variant of Piers. Modern usage may also derive from the surname.

"Pierce was a common nickname in the Middle Ages that evolved into the surname we know today."

Example Sentences
"The sharp arrow pierced through the thick shield and into the warrior's back." verb
"The rain pierced through my thin jacket and soaked me to the bone." verb
"She tried to pierce her ear with a simple needle at home." verb
"His sharp comment pierced right through his fake smile." verb
See Also
gimlet eyed zeon prong interrupt piercement wimble piercing gun transpierce
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
penetrate affect sound
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
pick stick peg center punch transfix horn gore lance poke puncture riddle prickle bite punch sting tap

Origin

The word "pierce" entered Middle English as perce from the Old French verb percier, meaning to thrust or bore through. It ultimately derives from Latin roots combining a prefix for "through" with a word for beating, replacing an earlier native English term that literally meant "to hole."

Rhyming Words
circe force gorce perce parce marce terce farce merce darce scarce tierce amorce alerce amerce source fierce coerce bierce adarce
Compare
Pierce vs