Adjacent Words

Pierce definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PIERCE, v.t. pers.
1. To thrust into with a pointed instrument; as, to pierce the body with a sword or spear; to pierce the side with a thorn.
2. To penetrate; to enter; to force a way into; as, a column of troops pierced the main body of the enemy; a shot pierced the ship.
3. To penetrate the heart deeply; to touch the passions; to excite or affect the passions. 1 Timothy 6.
4. To dive or penetrate into, as a secret or purpose.
PIERCE, v.i. pers. To enter; as a pointed instrument.
1. To penetrate; to force a way into or through any thing. The shot pierced through the side of the ship.
Her tears will pierce into a marble heart.
2. To enter; to dive or penetrate, as into a secret.
She would not pierce further into his meaning than himself should declare.
3. To affect deeply.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: 14th President of the United States (1804-1869) [syn: Pierce, Franklin Pierce, President Pierce] v
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 [syn: pierce, thrust]
5: make a hole into; "The needle pierced her flesh"

Merriam Webster's

verb (pierced; piercing) Etymology: Middle English percen, from Anglo-French percer, from Vulgar Latin *pertusiare, from Latin pertusus, past participle of pertundere to perforate, from per- through + tundere to beat — more at per-, contusion Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to run into or through as a pointed weapon does ; stab b. to enter or thrust into sharply or painfully 2. to make a hole through ; perforate 3. to force or make a way into or through 4. to penetrate with the eye or mind ; discern 5. to penetrate so as to move or touch the emotions of intransitive verb to force a way into or through something Synonyms: see enter • piercer noun

Merriam Webster's

biographical name Franklin 1804-1869 14th president of the United States (1853-57)

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 tr. a (of a sharp instrument etc.) penetrate the surface of. b (often foll. by with) prick with a sharp instrument, esp. to make a hole in. c make (a hole etc.) (pierced a hole in the belt). d (of cold, grief, etc.) affect keenly or sharply. e (of a light, glance, sound, etc.) penetrate keenly or sharply. 2 (as piercing adj.) (of a glance, intuition, high noise, bright light, etc.) keen, sharp, or unpleasantly penetrating. 3 tr. force (a way etc.) through or into (something) (pierced their way through the jungle). 4 intr. (usu. foll. by through, into) penetrate. Derivatives: piercer n. piercingly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF percer f. L pertundere bore through (as PER-, tundere tus- thrust)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pierce Pierce, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pierced; p. pr. & vb. n. Piercing.] [OE. percen, F. percer, OF. percier, perchier, parchier; perh. fr. (assumed) LL. pertusiare for pertusare, fr. L. pertundere, pertusum, to beat, push, bore through; per through + tundere to beat: cf. OF. pertuisier to pierce, F. pertuis a hole. Cf. Contuse, Parch, Pertuse.] 1. To thrust into, penetrate, or transfix, with a pointed instrument. ``I pierce . . . her tender side.'' --Dryden. 2. To penetrate; to enter; to force a way into or through; to pass into or through; as, to pierce the enemy's line; a shot pierced the ship. 3. Fig.: To penetrate; to affect deeply; as, to pierce a mystery. ``Pierced with grief.'' --Pope. Can no prayers pierce thee? --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pierce Pierce, v. i. To enter; to penetrate; to make a way into or through something, as a pointed instrument does; -- used literally and figuratively. And pierced to the skin, but bit no more. --Spenser. She would not pierce further into his meaning. --Sir P. Sidney.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(pierces, piercing, pierced) 1. If a sharp object pierces something, or if you pierce something with a sharp object, the object goes into it and makes a hole in it. One bullet pierced the left side of his chest... Pierce the skin of the potato with a fork. VERB: V n, V n 2. If you have your ears or some other part of your body pierced, you have a small hole made through them so that you can wear a piece of jewellery in them. I'm having my ears pierced on Saturday. ...her pierced ears with their tiny gold studs. VERB: have n V-ed, V-ed, also V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Transfix, stab. 2. Penetrate, enter, force a way into. 3. Perforate, drill, bore, puncture. 4. Affect, move, touch, strike, thrill, excite, rouse. II. v. n. Penetrate, enter, force a way.

Moby Thesaurus

abrade, affect, afflict, aggrieve, agonize, ail, anguish, auger, barb the dart, bark, bayonet, benumb, bite, blemish, bloody, bore, break, broach, bruise, burn, chafe, check, chill, chip, claw, come alive, come home to, comprehend, convulse, countersink, crack, craze, crucify, cut, cut up, dagger, descry, dirk, discern, discover, distress, drill, empierce, excruciate, fathom, fester, fix, fracture, fray, frazzle, freeze, fret, frost, frostbite, gain entree, gall, gash, get into, get through, give pain, gnaw, go deep, go through, go through one, gore, gouge, gouge out, grasp, grate, grieve, grind, gripe, harrow, hole, honeycomb, hurt, hurt the feelings, impale, incise, inflame, inflict pain, injure, interpenetrate, irritate, kill by inches, knife, lacerate, lance, maim, make an entrance, make mincemeat of, make out, make way into, martyr, martyrize, maul, melt, melt the heart, move, mutilate, needle, nip, numb, pain, pass through, penetrate, perceive, perforate, pinch, pink, plumb, plunge in, poke into, poniard, prick, prolong the agony, punch, puncture, put to torture, rack, rankle, rasp, realize, ream, ream out, refrigerate, rend, riddle, rip, rouse, rub, run, run into, run through, rupture, saber, savage, scald, scorch, scotch, scrape, scratch, scuff, see, see daylight, see into, see the light, see through, skewer, skin, slash, slice, slit, smart, soften, spear, spike, spit, sprain, stab, stick, stiletto, sting, stir, strain, strike, sword, tap, tear, torment, torture, touch, touch a chord, transfix, transpierce, traumatize, trepan, trephine, tweak, twist, twist the knife, understand, wound, wrench, wring