I
In building construction, a vertical load-bearing member such as an intermediate support for adjacent ends of two
Bulkier than a column but smaller than a wall, a pier can support an arch or beam. The lower portion of a pier may be widened to better distribute the downward pressure of a massive overlying structure. In Romanesque and Gothic architecture, a feature of the nave arcade is the compound pier, which is cross-shaped in cross section, with shafts placed in the recesses.
II
[c mediumvioletred] (as used in expressions)
{{link=Cavalli Pier Francesco">Cavalli Pier Francesco
Nervi Pier Luigi
Pasolini Pier Paolo