piercing

Pierce  (pîrs), Franklin 1804-1869.

The 14th President of the United States (1853-1857). He was unable to reconcile the issue of slavery that divided the United States.

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pierce  (pîrs)

v. pierced, pierc·ing, pierc·es

v.tr.

1. To cut or pass through with or as if with a sharp instrument; stab or penetrate.

2. To make a hole or opening in; perforate.

3. To make a way through: The path pierced the wilderness.

4. To sound sharply through: His shout pierced the din.

5. To succeed in penetrating (something) with the eyes or the intellect: Large glowing yellow eyes pierced the darkness.

v.intr.

To penetrate into or through something: The rocket pierced through space.

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[Middle English percen, from Old French percer, probably from Vulgar Latin *pertsire, from Latin pertsus, past participle of pertundere, to bore through : per-, per- + tundere, to beat.]

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piercer n.

piercing adj.

piercing·ly adv.

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	piercing - having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; "an acute observer of politics and politicians"; "incisive comments"; "icy knifelike reasoning"; "as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang"; "penetrating insight"; "frequent penetrative observations" incisive, keen, penetrating, penetrative, knifelike, discriminating, acute, sharp perceptive - having the ability to perceive or understand; keen in discernment; "a perceptive eye"; "a perceptive observation"
	2.	piercing - painful as if caused by a sharp instrument; "a cutting wind"; "keen winds"; "knifelike cold"; "piercing knifelike pains"; "piercing cold"; "piercing criticism"; "a stabbing pain"; "lancinating pain" lancinate, lancinating, stabbing, cutting, knifelike, keen sharp - keenly and painfully felt; as if caused by a sharp edge or point; "a sharp pain"; "sharp winds"

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piercing

adjective 1. (of a sound) penetrating, sharp, loud, shattering, shrill, high-pitched, ear-splitting << OPPOSITE low

adjective 2. perceptive, searching, aware, bright (informal) sharp, keen, alert, probing, penetrating, shrewd, perspicacious, quick-witted << OPPOSITE unperceptive

adjective 3. sharp, shooting, powerful, acute, severe, intense, painful, stabbing, fierce, racking, exquisite, excruciating, agonizing

adjective 4. (of weather) cold, biting, keen, freezing, bitter, raw, arctic, nipping, numbing, frosty, wintry, nippy

Translations

piercing [ˈpɪəsɪŋ] adj [cry] → penetrante

n (= body art) → piercing m

piercing [ˈpɪəsɪŋ] adj [cry] → perçant(e)

piercing [ˈpɪəsɪŋ] pierce adj (fig) [cry, eyes, stare] → durchdringend; [wind] → schneidend

piercing [ˈpɪəsɪŋ] adj [cry] → acuto/a