puncture

views updated Jun 08 2018

punc·ture / ˈpəngkchər/ • n. a small hole in a tire resulting in an escape of air: she was on her way home when she had a puncture. ∎  a small hole in something such as the skin, caused by a sharp object: surgeons operate through small punctures in the skin | [as adj.] a puncture wound. • v. [tr.] make such a hole in (something): one of the knife blows had punctured a lung. ∎  [intr.] sustain such a small hole: the tire had punctured and it would have to be replaced. ∎ fig. bring about a dramatic reversal in (mood or behavior) resembling a sudden deflation or collapse: the earlier mood of optimism was punctured.ORIGIN: late Middle English: from Latin punctura, from punct- ‘pricked,’ from the verb pungere. The verb dates from the late 17th cent.

puncture

views updated May 21 2018

puncture (punk-cher)
1. n. a wound made accidentally or deliberately by a sharp object or instrument. needle p. a puncture using a hollow needle to withdraw a sample of tissue (especially from the liver, bone marrow, or breast) for examination for diagnostic purposes. See also lumbar (puncture).

2. vb. to pierce a tissue with a sharp instrument.