From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpiercepierce /pɪəs $ pɪrs/ ●○○ verb 1 [transitive]CUTHOLE to make a small hole in or through something, using an object with a sharp point 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.2 → have your ears/nose etc pierced3 SEEHEAR[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.4 → pierce somebody’s heart5 [transitive] to force a way through something Leicester rarely threatened to pierce the Manchester United defence.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
pierce• When nailing or screwing down carpet gripper strips, be careful to avoid piercing any water pipes or electricity cables.• 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.• Whether voicing joyful exuberance or piercing heartbreak, she wrings all passion from the moment.• A spear point cut through her fur robes, pierced her skin, then drew back.• The arrow pierced his heart.• A bullet pierced his spinal cord.• An awl is an iron instrument used for piercing leather, but the word has been in punning use since time immemorial.• Orange-red flames pierced the dark sky.• She pierced the lid of the can and poured the milk into a saucepan.• Some distance away, sharp sirens pierce the silence of the dark night.• Shelley had her ears pierced when she was a teenager.• Then, their ears protected against the piercing whine, they activated the suction pump.Origin pierce (1200-1300) Old French percer, probably from Latin pertundere “to make a hole through” 