Dictionaries › English

pier

Pronunciation: /pɪə/

The English word “pier” has 5 meanings listed here.

noun

  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 rectangular pillar, or similar structure, that supports an arch, wall or roof, or the hinges of a gate.
  5. A long corridor-like building with multiple gates extending from an airport terminal.

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.

Keep exploring: in the interactive dictionary every word of a definition is a link. Open “pier” there

More English words

About this dictionary

The English dictionary on Glottosphere has 650,529 entries with a page. Browse the English dictionary.

Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.