Pierce
/pɪərs/noun
To make a hole in something by cutting or stabbing it with a sharp object.
Did you know?English *pierce* comes through Old French from a Latin root meaning “to thrust through,” and it shares ancestry with words like *force* and *forth*, all tied to the ancient idea of driving something forward.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to strike, thrust, or drive through”
Latin
Latin
percutere
“to strike through, beat, or drive into”
Late Latin
Latin
pertusiare
“to bore through, perforate”
Old French
Old French
percer
“to pierce, make a hole in”
Middle English
English
percien
“to pierce, stab, or penetrate”
Modern English
English
pierce
“to make a hole in or pass through by force”