unpiercedadj.
/(ˌ)ʌnˈpɪəst/, U.S. /ˌənˈpɪ(ə)rst/ Not pierced.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > closed or shut condition > [adjective] > stopping up or blocking > having no openings > not pierced, punctured, etc.
unpierced?c1425
imperforate1657
?c1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (Paris) (1971) 458 Take..vnpersede perles [?a1425 N.Y. Acad. Med. margaritum non perforatarum]... Þe summe of the medecynes is x. Braye ham, and vse ham.
1562 W. Ward tr. G. Ruscelli 3rd Pt. Secretes Alexis of Piemont i. f. 8 Take..of perced or vnperced pearles, of eche a Scruple.
1593 B. Barnes Parthenophil & Parthenophe 95 Thine hart of Adamant, which none can wound: Thine eye of Adamant, vnperced found.
1613 G. Chapman Reuenge Bussy D'Ambois v. sig. I3 Counsels (as your entrailes) Should be vnpiercst and sound kept.
1633 P. Fletcher Purple Island vi. xxix. 72 Such is this famous Prince, such his unpierced beam.
1744 J. Thomson Autumn in Seasons (new ed.) 167 Where, unpierc'd by Frost, the Cavern sweats.
1760 Philos. Trans. 1759 (Royal Soc.) 51 377 The leaves on each side of the foil were pierced, while the foil itself remained unpierced.
1862 E. Bulwer-Lytton Strange Story II. xxvii. 192 My dark guess into the Shadow-Land unpierced by Philosophy.
1871 G. Meredith Harry Richmond II. xx. 288 Her ear..was of a very pretty shape, with a soft unpierced lobe.
1942 Piqua (Ohio) Daily Call 18 June 1/5 The defenses of Sevastopol remained unpierced after 13 days of savage enemy onslaughts.
2001 R. A. Posner Breaking Deadlock p. xv The term ‘dimpled chad’ is sometimes reserved for an unpierced dimpled chad.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.?c1425