PUNCTURE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does puncture mean? 

• PUNCTURE (noun)
  The noun PUNCTURE has 3 senses:

1. loss of air pressure in a tire when a hole is made by some sharp object

2. a small hole made by a sharp object

3. the act of puncturing or perforating

  Familiarity information: PUNCTURE used as a noun is uncommon.

• PUNCTURE (verb)
  The verb PUNCTURE has 5 senses:

1. pierce with a pointed object; make a hole into

2. make by piercing

3. reduce or lessen the size or importance of

4. cause to lose air pressure or collapse by piercing

5. be pierced or punctured

  Familiarity information: PUNCTURE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PUNCTURE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Loss of air pressure in a tire when a hole is made by some sharp object

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("puncture" is a kind of...):

misadventure; mischance; mishap (an instance of misfortune)

Derivation:

puncture (be pierced or punctured)

puncture (cause to lose air pressure or collapse by piercing)

puncture (pierce with a pointed object; make a hole into)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A small hole made by a sharp object

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("puncture" is a kind of...):

hole (an opening deliberately made in or through something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "puncture"):

pinhole (a small puncture that might have been made by a pin)

pinprick (small puncture (as if made by a pin))

Derivation:

puncture (be pierced or punctured)

puncture (pierce with a pointed object; make a hole into)

puncture (make by piercing)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of puncturing or perforating

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("puncture" is a kind of...):

activity (any specific behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "puncture"):

centesis ((surgery) the act of puncturing a body cavity or organ with a hollow needle in order to draw out fluid)

perforation (the act of punching a hole (especially a row of holes as for ease of separation))

prick; pricking (the act of puncturing with a small point)

venipuncture ((medicine) puncture of a vein through the skin in order to withdraw blood for analysis or to start an intravenous drip or to inject medication or a radiopaque dye)

Derivation:

puncture (be pierced or punctured)

puncture (pierce with a pointed object; make a hole into)

• PUNCTURE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they puncture    ... he / she / it punctures   
Past simple: punctured   
Past participle: punctured   
-ing form: puncturing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pierce with a pointed object; make a hole into

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

puncture a tire

Hypernyms (to "puncture" is one way to...):

pierce (make a hole into)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "puncture"):

scarify (puncture and scar (the skin), as for purposes or tribal identification or rituals)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

puncture (the act of puncturing or perforating)

puncture (a small hole made by a sharp object)

puncture (loss of air pressure in a tire when a hole is made by some sharp object)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make by piercing

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

puncture a hole

Hypernyms (to "puncture" is one way to...):

create; make (make or cause to be or to become)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

puncture (a small hole made by a sharp object)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Reduce or lessen the size or importance of

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

deflate; puncture

Context example:

The bad review of his work deflated his self-confidence

Hypernyms (to "puncture" is one way to...):

deprecate; depreciate; vilipend (belittle)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cause to lose air pressure or collapse by piercing

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

puncture an air balloon

Hypernyms (to "puncture" is one way to...):

decompress; depressurise; depressurize (decrease the pressure of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

puncture (loss of air pressure in a tire when a hole is made by some sharp object)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Be pierced or punctured

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The tire punctured

Hypernyms (to "puncture" is one way to...):

break; come apart; fall apart; separate; split up (become separated into pieces or fragments)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

puncture (the act of puncturing or perforating)

puncture (a small hole made by a sharp object)

puncture (loss of air pressure in a tire when a hole is made by some sharp object)

 Context examples 

Dr. Vincent took the bandage from its throat, and showed us the punctures.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Not a puncture, not a weak spot anywhere.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

For exchange of material, for example, proteins and mRNA, it is punctured with numerous nuclear pores.

(Nuclear Membrane, NCI Thesaurus)

The puncture of a vein with a needle for the purpose of drawing blood.

(Phlebotomy, NCI Dictionary)

Infection at the site of needle puncture or intravenous catheter placement due to poor aseptic techniques.

(Infective Phlebitis, NCI Thesaurus)

A medical procedure that invades (enters) the body, usually by cutting or puncturing the skin or by inserting instruments into the body.

(Invasive procedure, NCI Dictionary)

If the broken bone punctures the skin, it is called an open or compound fracture.

(Fractures, NIH)

It would be a sharp-eyed coroner, indeed, who could distinguish the two little dark punctures which would show where the poison fangs had done their work.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Invasive procedure through a puncture in the skin, performed for the purpose of reducing regurgitation of the mitral valve.

(Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair, NCI Thesaurus/ACC)

At first he had tried to keep it in the basement; but the tribe of Silva, loosening the bearings and puncturing the tires, had driven him out.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)