pierce

Meanings

Verb

• To puncture; to break through.
• To create a hole in the skin for the purpose of inserting jewelry.
• to break or interrupt abruptly
• To get to the heart or crux of (a matter).
• To penetrate; to affect deeply.

Noun

• A pierced earring.

Origin

• From Middle English perce, from conjugated forms of Old French percier such as pierce, probably from Vulgar Latin *pertūsiō, from Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundō, from per- + tundō. Displaced native .
• Borrowed from Japanese ピアス ("pierced earring"), itself from English pierce#Etymology 1