pierce
To puncture; to break through.
Example
“The diver pierced the surface of the water with scarcely a splash.”
Other meanings
To create a hole in the skin for the purpose of inserting jewelry.
“Can you believe he pierced his tongue?”
to break or interrupt abruptly
“A dreadful scream pierced the silence.”
Word history
From Latin "pertūsus".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “pierce” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.