pier

C2 Topic:Maritime & Sailing

US /pɪɹ/ UK /pɪə/ See IPA manual

Homophones

peer /pɪɹ/

Freq #7091

Meanings

1

noun
A raised platform built from the shore out over water, supported on piles; used to secure, or provide access to shipping; a jetty.

Your boat is docked at the pier.
2

noun
A similar structure, especially at a seaside resort, used to provide entertainment.

There is a gaming arcade on the pier.
3

noun
A structure supporting the junction between two spans of a bridge.

The force of the explosion demolished one pair of piers and two spans of the bridge crashed down into the river on top of the barges.
4

noun
a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles

Thesaurus

Synonyms

4 noun · a platform built out from... dock

Word family

Derived forms end-of-pierend-of-the-piergatepierpieragepieredpierheadpierlesspierlikepiermasterpiersidepierwise

Related forms jetty mole wharf

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

pier mirror
a tall mirror placed on the wall between two windows

Noun + noun

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English pere (“bridge pillar, breakwater”), from either Anglo-Norman pere (“stone”, from Latin petra) or Old French *piere (Old Northern French pire, from either Late Latin *petricus or pēra "satchel"); compare Medieval Latin pira.

Topics

Maritime & Sailing General Vocabulary

External links

# pier

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /pɪɹ/
**IPA (UK):** /pɪə/
**Frequency rank:** 7091

## Meanings
1. A raised platform built from the shore out over water, supported on piles; used to secure, or provide access to shipping; a jetty.
2. A similar structure, especially at a seaside resort, used to provide entertainment.
3. A structure supporting the junction between two spans of a bridge.
4. a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles

## Examples
- Your boat is docked at the pier.
- There is a gaming arcade on the pier.
- The force of the explosion demolished one pair of piers and two spans of the bridge crashed down into the river on top of the barges.

## Derived Forms
- end-of-pier
- end-of-the-pier
- gatepier
- pierage
- piered
- pierhead
- pierless
- pierlike
- piermaster
- pierside
- pierwise

## Related Forms
- jetty
- mole
- wharf

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English pere (“bridge pillar, breakwater”), from either Anglo-Norman pere (“stone”, from Latin petra) or Old French *piere (Old Northern French pire, from either Late Latin *petricus or pēra "satchel"); compare Medieval Latin pira.

## Topics
- Maritime & Sailing
- General Vocabulary

markdown