pier

Night Scene of Pier 9, Central Piers, Hong Kong

A small pier at a campsite in Canada

From Middle English pere (“bridge pillar”), from Medieval Latin pera, from Old Northern French pire (“breakwater”), from Vulgar Latin *petricus, from Latin petra, from Ancient Greek πέτρα (pétra, “stone”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɪə(ɹ)/
• (General American) enPR: pîr, IPA^(key): /pɪɹ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
• Homophone: peer

pier (plural piers)

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

   There is a gaming arcade on the pier.

   • 2023 March 22, Paul Clifton, “Network News: Island Line to reopen to Ryde Pier in June... possibly”, in RAIL, number 979, page 24:

     Ryde Pier's claim to fame is being the world's oldest seaside pleasure pier, with construction starting in 1813.

3. A structure supporting the junction between two spans of a bridge.
   • 1961 January, “Talking of Trains: The Severn Bridge disaster”, in Trains Illustrated, page 5:

     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. (architecture) A rectangular pillar, or similar structure, that supports an arch, wall or roof, or the hinges of a gate.

• jetty
• mole
• wharf

• Peri, peri, peri-, prie, ripe

• Rhymes: -ir

• audio

  (file)

From Middle Dutch pier, probably from the name Pierre.

pier m (plural pieren, diminutive piertje n)

1. (zoology) A worm, earthworm (in Flanders)

Borrowed from English pier.

pier m (plural pieren, diminutive piertje n)

1. (architecture) A pier, jetty

• wandelpier

• → Papiamentu: pir

• aanlegsteiger
• golfbreker
• hoofd
• steiger

Unknown; Flanders only

• piere (obsolete)

pier m (plural pieren, diminutive piertje n)

1. (archaic) A physical trap
2. (archaic) A figurative trap, ambush
3. (archaic) A place one is trapped in:
   1. a prison
   2. a rabbit den

• pieren
• (trap types) steenpier(e), vliegepier(e)
• pierkoorde

pier

1. inflection of pieren:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. imperative

• M. J. Koenen & J. Endepols, Verklarend Handwoordenboek der Nederlandse Taal (tevens Vreemde-woordentolk), Groningen, Wolters-Noordhoff, 1969 (26th edition) [Dutch dictionary in Dutch]

• prei
• riep

pier

1. first-person singular present passive subjunctive of piō

pier

1. Alternative form of pere (“peer”)

pier

1. Alternative form of pere (“equal”)

pier

1. first-person singular present indicative/subjunctive of pieri

• biera (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Puter, Vallader)

pier f (plural piers)

1. (Sutsilvan) beer, ale

• gervosa

• IPA^(key): [pi̯er]

pier

1. genitive plural of pero
2. genitive plural of pera