Puncture Meaning
/ˈpʌŋktʃə/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe act or an instance of puncturing.
nounA hole, cut, or tear created by a sharp object.
Sentence Examples
The puncture wound was very deep and had to be examined for infection.
Changing a puncture gives a lot of work.
CEFR Practice Quiz
While driving over glass, the tire got a ____ that made it go flat.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The cyclist had to stop and repair a ____ in her rear tire before she could continue the race.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ-der. Proto-Italic *pungō Late Latin pungō Late Latin pūnctus Proto-Indo-European *-tew-? Proto-Indo-European *-r-eh₂? Late Latin -tūra Late Latin punctūrabor. English puncture Borrowed from Late Latin punctūra.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The lion may perish by the puncture of an asp."
— 1752 January 22 (Gregorian calendar), Samuel Johnson, “No. 190. Saturday, January 12. 1752.”, in The Rambler, volume VIII, Edinburgh: […] Sands, Murray, and Cochran; sold by W. Gordon, C. Wright, J. Yair, […], published 1752, →OCLC, page 44:
"Dieter's car had suffered a puncture on the RN3 road between Paris and Meaux. A bent nail was stuck in the tire."
— 2001, Ken Follett, Jackdaws, Dutton, →ISBN, page 340:
"A tough test for even the strongest climber, it was new to the Tour de France this year, but its debut will be remembered for the wrong reasons after one of those spectators scattered carpet tacks on the road and induced around 30 punctures among the group of riders including Bradley Wiggins, the Tour's overall leader, and his chief rivals."
— 2012 July 15, Richard Williams, Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track, Guardian Unlimited:
"The couple all bloody / Tongues punctured by each other's teeth / Died and didn't let go"
— 2013, clipping., “story”, in midcity:
"The woebegone children have their aspirations slowly snuffed. Grace’s artistic dreams (of animation, of course) are punctured by her isolated existence; Gilbert’s pyrophilia is smothered by religious extremism."
— 2024 October 23, Jacob Oller, “Clay weepy Memoir Of A Snail crawls through a gauntlet of misery”, in AV Club:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
While driving over glass, the tire got a ____ that made it go flat.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The cyclist had to stop and repair a ____ in her rear tire before she could continue the race.