verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a piercing gaze (= a look that seems to see what you are thinking )
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He fixed the boy with a piercing gaze and waited for his response.
a shrill/piercing/high-pitched scream (= with a very high sound )
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The sound of gunfire mingled with the shrill screams of the injured.
body piercing
have your ears pierced (= have a hole put into the skin, so that you can wear an earring )
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I had my ears pierced when I was quite young.
pierced (= with a hole in the skin where an earring can be put )
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Her new boyfriend's got long hair and pierced ears.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
through
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He is pierced through for our faults.
■ NOUN
body
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Only one small, white-highlighted ripple showed where the supple arrow of his body had pierced the water.
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As with getting a tattoo, the major risk associated with body piercing is one of infection.
ear
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I had my ears pierced very young, and my nose pierced more recently.
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His skin was dark, dark brown, his head perfectly slick, his ear pierced by a tiny gold ring.
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It's no worse than having your ears pierced .
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Then, their ears protected against the piercing whine, they activated the suction pump.
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It's just like having your ears pierced - some have it, some don't.
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So, lay in a good stock of chalk, get your ear pierced and head for the sun.
heart
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Lances of remembrance pierced her heart , and she flinched.
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Procris was there and she sank to the ground dead, pierced to the heart .
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A sudden spasm of pain pierced her heart , subduing her anger.
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Something else about Cowher has pierced the steel-plated hearts of Pittsburgh women.
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Her deep green eyes were made up expertly and there was a wistfulness in them that pierced Roy's heart .
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The gesture pierces me to the heart .
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He turned and lunged at her, stabbing her three times, the last thrust piercing her heart .
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Faye was stabbed 20 times in the body and one of the stab wounds pierced her heart .
nose
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Depleted uranium is used in the nose of armour-piercing shells because its density helps it to punch through modern tanks.
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I am a female, mid-twenties and happen to have my nose pierced with one small silver ring.
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I had my ears pierced very young, and my nose pierced more recently.
skin
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A searching, frantic hand savagely grasped Maggie's hip, and she yelped as sharp nails pierced her skin .
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Sometimes the practitioner just pierces the skin , while other times the needle is inserted up to an inch deep.
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A spear point cut through her fur robes, pierced her skin , then drew back.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
cut/sting/pierce sb to the quick
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Son, you really cut down to the quick .
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That's probably why she sent him - she knew it would cut him to the quick .
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The answer cut him to the quick .
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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A bullet pierced his spinal cord.
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Orange-red flames pierced the dark sky.
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She pierced the lid of the can and poured the milk into a saucepan.
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Shelley had her ears pierced when she was a teenager.
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The arrow pierced his heart.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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A spear point cut through her fur robes, pierced her skin, then drew back.
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An awl is an iron instrument used for piercing leather, but the word has been in punning use since time immemorial.
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Generation X, best known for its pierced bodies and jaded outlook, is more optimistic about Wall Street than previous generations.
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His skin was dark, dark brown, his head perfectly slick, his ear pierced by a tiny gold ring.
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Some distance away, sharp sirens pierce the silence of the dark night.
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Then, their ears protected against the piercing whine, they activated the suction pump.
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When nailing or screwing down carpet gripper strips, be careful to avoid piercing any water pipes or electricity cables.
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Whether voicing joyful exuberance or piercing heartbreak, she wrings all passion from the moment.