English Reference
Noun

puncture

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈpəŋkʃɝ/ UK /pˈʌŋktʃɐ/ punc·ture UK spelling puncture's, puncture's, punctured

n.a small hole in a tire or a piece of equipment that lets air or liquid escape. You usually get one when a sharp object like a nail pokes through the surface.

n.a small hole in a tyre or other inflated object, typically caused by a sharp point. Refers to both the physical opening and the resulting loss of pressure.


SIMPLE

I had to walk home because my bike had a puncture.

CONTEXTUAL

The mechanic found a small puncture in the rear tyre caused by a piece of glass on the road.

COMPLEX

While modern tubeless tyres are designed to resist sudden blowouts, a slow puncture can still compromise vehicle handling over several days if the driver fails to monitor the pressure levels.

Usage

Commonly used with the verbs 'get', 'have', or 'repair'.

The walls have been shaved off one side of her house, and a gaping hole punctures what used to be the roof.

Al Jazeera· 15 Aug 2026

In the new study, researchers examined several kinds of depressions, punctures, holes, and grooves that appeared to have been left by teeth.

ScienceDaily· 5 Aug 2026

From Late Latin punctūra.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin la-lat punctūra
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated