Word
pearce
Phoneticspearce
/ˈpɪɹs/
Definition
v. to make a hole in something with a sharp point.
v. to penetrate or puncture a surface with a sharp instrument; an obsolete spelling of 'pierce'.
Examples
“The knight used his sword to pearce the shield.”
“In the old manuscript, the writer describes how the arrow did pearce the thick leather of the soldier's armor.”
“Scholars of Early Modern English often encounter variant spellings like 'pearce' in texts where orthography had not yet been standardized to the modern 'pierce'.”
Examples
simple
“The knight used his sword to pearce the shield.”
contextual
“In the old manuscript, the writer describes how the arrow did pearce the thick leather of the soldier's armor.”
complex
“Scholars of Early Modern English often encounter variant spellings like 'pearce' in texts where orthography had not yet been standardized to the modern 'pierce'.”
Usage
This spelling is no longer used in modern English; learners should always use 'pierce'.
Teaching tip
This form appears only in historical texts or early modern literature. Modern learners should treat it as a spelling error if found in contemporary writing.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/pearce