I. punc ‧ ture 1 /ˈpʌŋktʃə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: punctura , from pungere ; ⇨ ↑ pungent ]
1 . British English a small hole made accidentally in a tyre SYN flat American English :
She was cycling home when she had a puncture.
slow puncture (=one that lets air out very slowly)
2 . a small hole made by a sharp point, especially in someone’s body:
puncture wounds
II. puncture 2 BrE AmE verb
1 . [intransitive and transitive] if a tyre punctures, or if you puncture it, a small hole appears in it:
A piece of glass punctured the back tyre.
2 . [transitive] to make a small hole in something:
One bullet punctured his lung.
Pressurized container – do not puncture.
3 . [transitive] to interrupt a period of silence by making a noise:
There was a stunned silence, punctured by shrill laughter.
4 . [transitive] to suddenly destroy someone’s hopes or beliefs, making them feel unhappy, embarrassed, or confused:
He wasn’t hurt, but his dignity was punctured.