piercepierce /pɪəs $ pɪrs/ ●○○ verb 
Steam the corn until it can easily be pierced with a fork. Rose underwent emergency surgery after a bullet pierced her lung.pierce a hole in/through something Pierce small holes in the base of the pot with a hot needle.2have your ears/nose etc pierced to have a small hole made in your ears, nose etc so that you can wear jewellery through the hole: I had my belly-button pierced. pierced ears3[intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] literary if sound or light pierces something, you suddenly hear or see it: The darkness was pierced by the beam from the lighthouse. A sudden scream pierced the silence.pierce through The men’s lanterns pierced through the dense mist.4pierce somebody’s heart to make someone feel a strong emotion such as pain, sadness, or love: Her memories sometimes pierced her heart.5[transitive] to force a way through something: Leicester rarely threatened to pierce the Manchester United defence.
WORD ORIGINpierce
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French percer, probably from Latin pertundere ‘to make a hole through’VERB TABLE
pierce
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | pierce |
| he, she, it | pierces | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | pierced |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have pierced |
| he, she, it | has pierced | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had pierced |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will pierce |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have pierced |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am piercing |
| he, she, it | is piercing | |
| you, we, they | are piercing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was piercing |
| you, we, they | were piercing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been piercing |
| he, she, it | has been piercing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been piercing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be piercing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been piercing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A bullet pierced his spinal cord.
- Orange-red flames pierced the dark sky.
- She pierced the lid of the can and poured the milk into a saucepan.
- Shelley had her ears pierced when she was a teenager.
- The arrow pierced his heart.
- A spear point cut through her fur robes, pierced her skin, then drew back.
- An awl is an iron instrument used for piercing leather, but the word has been in punning use since time immemorial.
- Generation X, best known for its pierced bodies and jaded outlook, is more optimistic about Wall Street than previous generations.
- His skin was dark, dark brown, his head perfectly slick, his ear pierced by a tiny gold ring.
- Some distance away, sharp sirens pierce the silence of the dark night.
- Then, their ears protected against the piercing whine, they activated the suction pump.
- When nailing or screwing down carpet gripper strips, be careful to avoid piercing any water pipes or electricity cables.
- Whether voicing joyful exuberance or piercing heartbreak, she wrings all passion from the moment.
Longman Language Activatorto make a hole through something
· Make a hole in the bottom of the plant pot to allow the water to drain out.· Make a hole in the surface of the pie before you put it in the oven.
to make a small hole through something using something long and sharp: · She pierced the lid of the can and poured the milk into a saucepan.· The arrow pierced his heart.have your ears/nose/navel etc pierced (=have holes made in them so that you can wear jewellery): · Shelley had her ears pierced when she was a teenager.
to damage something by making a hole through which air escapes: · The doctor was worried that the broken rib might puncture the woman's lung.
to make a hole through paper or material with a quick strong movement using a special tool: · The conductor walked through the train, punching everyone's ticket.punch a hole in something: · I punched holes in the papers and filed them away in a binder.· The shoemaker was threading stitches through tiny holes he had punched in the leather.
to make a small hole in something using a tool that turns around and around very quickly: drill a hole in: · I drilled two holes in the shelf and attached it to the wall.· We drilled several small holes in the lid of the jar.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Pierce small holes in the base of the pot with a hot needle.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
Pierce small holes in the base of the pot with a hot needle. (=with a hole in the skin where an earring can be put)· Her new boyfriend’s got long hair and pierced ears.
(=have a hole put into the skin, so that you can wear an earring)· I had my ears pierced when I was quite young.
(=a look that seems to see what you are thinking)· He fixed the boy with a piercing gaze and waited for his response.
(=with a very high sound)· The sound of gunfire mingled with the shrill screams of the injured.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· He is pierced through for our faults.
NOUN· Only one small, white-highlighted ripple showed where the supple arrow of his body had pierced the water.· As with getting a tattoo, the major risk associated with body piercing is one of infection.
· I had my ears pierced very young, and my nose pierced more recently.· His skin was dark, dark brown, his head perfectly slick, his ear pierced by a tiny gold ring.· It's no worse than having your ears pierced.· Then, their ears protected against the piercing whine, they activated the suction pump.· It's just like having your ears pierced - some have it, some don't.· So, lay in a good stock of chalk, get your ear pierced and head for the sun.
· Lances of remembrance pierced her heart, and she flinched.· Procris was there and she sank to the ground dead, pierced to the heart.· A sudden spasm of pain pierced her heart, subduing her anger.· Something else about Cowher has pierced the steel-plated hearts of Pittsburgh women.· Her deep green eyes were made up expertly and there was a wistfulness in them that pierced Roy's heart.· The gesture pierces me to the heart.· He turned and lunged at her, stabbing her three times, the last thrust piercing her heart.· Faye was stabbed 20 times in the body and one of the stab wounds pierced her heart.
· Depleted uranium is used in the nose of armour-piercing shells because its density helps it to punch through modern tanks.· I am a female, mid-twenties and happen to have my nose pierced with one small silver ring.· I had my ears pierced very young, and my nose pierced more recently.
· A searching, frantic hand savagely grasped Maggie's hip, and she yelped as sharp nails pierced her skin.· Sometimes the practitioner just pierces the skin, while other times the needle is inserted up to an inch deep.· A spear point cut through her fur robes, pierced her skin, then drew back.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► pierce somebody’s heartPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[transitive] to make a small hole in or through something, using an object with a sharp point: - I am a female, mid-twenties and happen to have my nose pierced with one small silver ring.
- Son, you really cut down to the quick.
- That's probably why she sent him - she knew it would cut him to the quick.
- The answer cut him to the quick.
Steam the corn until it can easily be pierced with a fork. Rose underwent emergency surgery after a bullet pierced her lung.pierce a hole in/through something Pierce small holes in the base of the pot with a hot needle.2have your ears/nose etc pierced to have a small hole made in your ears, nose etc so that you can wear jewellery through the hole: I had my belly-button pierced. pierced ears3[intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] literary if sound or light pierces something, you suddenly hear or see it: The darkness was pierced by the beam from the lighthouse. A sudden scream pierced the silence.pierce through The men’s lanterns pierced through the dense mist.4pierce somebody’s heart to make someone feel a strong emotion such as pain, sadness, or love: Her memories sometimes pierced her heart.5[transitive] to force a way through something: Leicester rarely threatened to pierce the Manchester United defence.