?c1400 in J. O. Halliwell Rara Mathematica (1839) 65 (MED) Þe side of þe quadrat bitwene A and B mote be persede reulefully; in whilk persyng put a chippe like þe oþer thre.

?c1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (Paris) (1971) 153 (MED) When it [sc. the aposteme] is matured, perse it wiþ a smal persynge [L. perforatione subtili & parua].

1610 J. Guillim Display of Heraldrie ii. vii. 71 This is termed Quater-pierced, quasi Quadrate pierced, for that the piercing is square as a Trencher.

1680 O. Walker Of Benefits Saviour vii. 123 All the wounds, and piercings made in it [sc. Christ's body] as honourable marks of his sufferings.

1730 Art Heraldry 43 Note, The Piercings are born round, as this example, as also four-square, and Lozenge ways.

1861 Amer. Agriculturist Jan. 26/1 The piercings are too numerous ‘to facilitate the formation of fruit-buds’.

1887 Athenæum 9 July 54/2 These ornamental piercings..were like church windows.

1959 Times 20 June 9/1 Circular piercings may be placed to form a date and initials.

1992 C. McCarthy All Pretty Horses (1993) ii. 137 The dark jade shapes of the lagunillas below them lay in the floor of the desert savannah like piercings through to another sky.

1909 Amer. Anthropologist 11 365 His comrade in captivity who preferred to stay with the Indians not the least on account of his facial tattooing and nose and ear piercings.

1951 M. Inez Hilger Chippewa Child Life 20 In order that the piercings would grow right, mother turned our earrings once in a while.

1993 J. Green It: Sex since Sixties 312 If you don't actually keep your piercing open, then the body will simply heal up.

2001 Daily Tel. 7 Aug. 15/1 Two months ago, I decided to take out all my piercings.

a1400 tr. Lanfranc Sci. Cirurgie (Ashm.) (1894) 128 (MED) Mo men ben heelid bi maner of medicyns & emplastris, þan ben heelid bi trapanes, þat ben peersynge or þrillynge.

c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) i. 2350 Harded with stele, trenchaunde or persynge.

a1500 tr. Lanfranc Sci. Cirurgie (Wellcome) f. 33 (MED) If..þou..make a sekenes þat is callid betor, in whiche is a rysyng lyke to A grayne of grabe þat rysithe in þe eye, þan is nedefull a medecine þat is clepid elixir, þat is to say, a medysyne persyng.

1581 A. Hall tr. Homer 10 Bks. Iliades iv. 63 An arrow he out of his quiuer cought, Sure steelde at end with piercing head.

1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 201 Their Armour made full of sharpe prickes or piercing piked Nayles.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis vi, in tr. Virgil Wks. 370 Piercing Wedges cleave the stubborn Oak.

1747 T. Gray Ode Eton Coll. 6 Sorrow's piercing Dart.

a1817 J. Austen Love & Freindship (1922) xiii. 32 Beware ye gentle Nymphs of Cupid's Thunderbolts, avoid the piercing Shafts of Jupiter.

1883 R. W. Dixon Mano i. xii. 38 His ministers with point of piercing sword Put out my light for ever.

1932 Victorian Naturalist 49 97 When one has kept the ‘Sugar Squirrel’ in captivity and suffered keen bites from its long piercing teeth, one is able to appreciate the spitfire temper concealed in these beautiful little creatures.

1989 National Geographic Mar. 395/2 A sudden, piercing blow from giant mandibles often signals the end of battle.

c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) i. 1651 (MED) Make þe sonne briȝt Schewe his bemys, ful persyng and ful schene.

c1475 (a1449) J. Lydgate Isopes Fabules (Harl.) 859 in Minor Poems (1934) ii. 596 (MED) In Cancro, whan Phebus takith his hete..som while the persynge violence Of his beames..The soyle consumyth of herbe, grayne, and seede.

c1500 (?a1437) Kingis Quair (1939) ciii With the stremes of your percyng lyght.

1593 G. Harvey Pierces Supererogation 12 Not with..the trickling water of Helicon, but with piercing Aqua fortis.

1615 W. Lawson Country Housewifes Garden (1626) 21 There is nothing more hurtfull for yong trees than piercing drought.

1665 R. Boyle Occas. Refl. Introd. Pref. sig. a7 The Sun, by his piercing and improving Beams, cannot only make Diamonds sparkle, and Rubies flame, but [etc.].

1744 J. Thomson Summer in Seasons (new ed.) 82 To where the Lemon and the piercing Lime,..Their lighter Glories blend.

1796 H. Hunter tr. J.-H. B. de Saint-Pierre Stud. Nature (1799) II. 338 Aquatic birds have shrill and piercing cries.

1850 Amer. Whig. Rev. June 585/1 Six miles only were accomplished this day against a piercing wind and drifts of snow.

1884 D. Pae Eustace 8 A piercing shriek rang through the silent..air.

1938 E. Bowen Death of Heart i. ii. 38 The Quaynes had a room-to-room telephone, which, instead of ringing, let out a piercing buzz.

1991 Living Blues Nov. 54/1 He waxed a series of seminal tracks for Cobra that continually emphasized his piercing lead guitar work.

c1450 (c1400) Bk. Vices & Virtues (Huntington) (1942) 64 (MED) Þan ben here tonges..more persynge þan an al.

1509 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure (1845) xxvii. 132 I made mine othe with percing influence, Unto them all for to remayne full true.

c1595 Countess of Pembroke Psalme lxix. 31 in Coll. Wks. (1998) II. 82 The shott of piercing spight.

1620 tr. G. Boccaccio Decameron I. v. x. f. 208 For I know, but not without much perturbation of minde, and piercing afflictions in the spirit.

1657 A. Sparrow Rationale Bk. Common Prayer (1661) 71 This most humble and piercing Supplication.

1749 S. Johnson Vanity Human Wishes 7 How wouldst thou..Dart the quick Taunt, and edge the piercing Gibe?

1791 E. Inchbald Simple Story IV. 142 A state of the most piercing inquietude.

1832 J. Hodgson in J. Raine Mem. II. 283 Piercing misfortunes and troubles.

1896 C. G. D. Roberts Forge in Forest xi. 147 ‘And, oh,’ cried this poor mother, in a voice of piercing anguish and amazement.

1965 I. Murdoch Red & Green x. 148 At the same time he felt ashamed before the two boys with a genuine piercing shame.

1994 R. Silverberg Hot Sky at Midnight 184 Long stretches of eunuchlike indifference punctuated by piercing episodes of wild lustfulness.