pierce

pierce · verb, noun¹

1. Latin · derived frompertūsus
2. Vulgar Latin · derived from*pertūsiō
3. Old French · derived frompercier
4. Middle English · inherited fromperce
5. English todaypierce

From Middle English perce, from conjugated forms of Old French percier such as (jeo) pierce (“I pierce”), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertūsiō, from Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundō (“thrust or bore through”), from per- (“through”) + tundō (“beat, pound”). Displaced native Old English þȳrlian (literally “to hole”).

pierce · noun²

1. English · derived frompierce
2. Japanese · borrowed fromピアス“pierced earring”
3. English todaypierce

Borrowed from Japanese ピアス (piasu, “pierced earring”), itself from English pierce.

Words from the same roots