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Pierce

//pɪɹs// name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A male given name from Ancient Greek, medieval variant of Piers. Modern usage may also derive from the surname.
  2. 2
    A surname originating as a patronymic.
  3. 3
    A city, the county seat of Pierce County, Nebraska, United States.
Noun
  1. 1
    A pierced earring. Japan
Verb
  1. 1
    To puncture; to break through. transitive

    "The diver pierced the surface of the water with scarcely a splash."

  2. 2
    make a hole into wordnet
  3. 3
    To create a hole in the skin for the purpose of inserting jewelry. transitive

    "Can you believe he pierced his tongue?"

  4. 4
    penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument wordnet
  5. 5
    to break or interrupt abruptly transitive

    "A dreadful scream pierced the silence."

Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    cut or make a way through wordnet
  2. 7
    To get to the heart or crux of (a matter). figuratively, transitive

    "to pierce a mystery"

  3. 8
    move or affect (a person's emotions or bodily feelings) deeply or sharply wordnet
  4. 9
    To penetrate; to affect deeply. figuratively, transitive

    "A stab of fear pierced my heart."

  5. 10
    sound sharply or shrilly wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English perce, from conjugated forms of Old French percier such as (jeo) pierce (“I pierce”), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertūsiō, from Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundō (“thrust or bore through”), from per- (“through”) + tundō (“beat, pound”). Displaced native Old English þȳrlian (literally “to hole”).

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Japanese ピアス (piasu, “pierced earring”), itself from English pierce.

See also for "pierce"

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