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Origin and history of piercing

piercing(adj.)

early 15c., percing, in reference to cold, sound, light, a gaze, etc., present-participle adjective from pierce (v.). Figuratively, of the effect on the mind or emotions of pain, grief, etc., "sharp, keen, intense," from late 14c. Related: Piercingly.

piercing(n.)

late 14c., "act of penetrating with a point;" c. 1400, "a perforation, a hole," verbal noun from pierce (v.).

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to piercing

pierce(v.)

c. 1300 (c. 1200 as a surname), percen, "make a hole in; force one's way through; thrust through with or as with a sharp or pointed instrument," from Anglo-French perser, Old French percier "pierce, transfix, drive through" (12c., Modern French percer), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertusiare, frequentative of Latin pertusus, past participle of pertundere "to thrust or bore through," from per "through" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "through") + tundere "to beat, pound," from PIE *tund-, from root *(s)teu- "to push, strike, knock, beat, thrust" (see obtuse). Related: Pierced; piercing.

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    cutting
    c. 1400, "penetrating or dividing by an edge," present-participle adjective from cut (v.). As "wounding or deeply affecting the feelings," 1580s. Related: Cuttingly. Cutting-edge is by 1825 in the literal sense "cutting surface of a blade or tool" (often at first with reference t
    keen
    c. 1200, kene, from Old English cene "bold, brave, fearless," in later Old English "clever, prudent, wise, intelligent," common Germanic (cognate with Old Norse kænn "skillful, wise," Middle Dutch coene "bold," Dutch koen, Old High German kuon "pugnacious, strong," German kühn "b
    acute
    late 14c., originally of fevers and diseases, "coming quickly to a crisis" (opposed to chronic), from Latin acutus "sharp, pointed," figuratively "shrill, penetrating; intelligent, cunning," past participle of acuere "to sharpen" (literal and figurative), from PIE root *ak- "be s
    puncheon
    "pointed tool for punching or piercing" used by masons, also "die for coining or seal-making," late 14c., from Old French...ponchon, poinchon "pointed tool, piercing weapon," from Vulgar Latin *punctionem (nominative *punctio) "pointed tool," from...
    awl
    "pointed instrument for piercing small holes in leather, wood, etc.," Old English æl "awl, piercer," from Proto-Germanic...The earliest English references are to piercing of the ears, though later it was the characteristic tool of a shoemaker....
    chelicerae
    piercing appendages in the proboscis of a scorpion or spider, 1831, plural of Modern Latin chelicera, from Greek khēlē "crab...
    punch
    making holes, pricking, or embossing," late 14c., short for puncheon, from Old French ponchon, poinchon "pointed tool, piercing...
    impress
    late 14c., "have a strong effect on the mind or heart, to stamp deeply in the mind," from Latin impressus, past participle of imprimere "press into or upon, stamp," also figurative, from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + premere "to press, ho
    horn
    Old English horn "horn of an animal; projection, pinnacle," also "wind instrument" (originally one made from animal horns), from Proto-Germanic *hurni- (source also of German Horn, Dutch horen, Old Frisian horn, Gothic haurn), from PIE root *ker- (1) "horn; head." Late 14c. as "o
    recipe
    1580s, "medical prescription, a formula for the composing of a remedy written by a physician," from French récipé (15c.), from Latin recipe "take!" (this or that ingredient), second person imperative singular of recipere "to hold, contain" (see receive). It was the word written b

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