puncture

/'pʌɳktʃə/

Thân thiện

The cyclist stops to fix a puncture in his tire.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A small hole made by a sharp object: A puncture is a small opening created when something sharp pierces a surface, such as a tire or a balloon.
   • The act of making such a hole: Puncture can also refer to the action of piercing or perforating something.
   • Loss of air pressure: Specifically, a puncture often describes the event where a tire loses air because a sharp object has made a hole in it.

2. Verb:

   • To make a hole by piercing: To puncture something means to pierce it with a sharp point, creating a hole.
   • To cause to lose air or collapse: To puncture can mean to cause something filled with air, like a tire or balloon, to deflate by making a hole in it.
   • To reduce in size or importance (figurative): In a figurative sense, to puncture something means to deflate or diminish it, such as someone's confidence or an idea.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • I had to change the tire because of a puncture from a nail.
  • The doctor cleaned the small puncture from the injection.
• Verb:
  • A sharp stone punctured the bicycle tire.
  • He used a pin to puncture the balloon.
  • Her critical remarks punctured his cheerful mood.

Advanced Usage

• "Puncture-proof": Designed to resist being pierced.
  • These are puncture-proof gloves for handling sharp materials.
• "Puncture wound": A specific type of injury caused by a pointed object.
  • The nurse treated the deep puncture wound from the rusty nail.

Variants and Related Words

• Puncturable (adj): Capable of being pierced.
  • The material is thin and easily puncturable.
• Puncturer (n): One who or that which punctures (less common).
• Puncturation (n): The act or process of puncturing (technical/medical term).

Synonyms

• Pierce: To make a hole in or through something with a sharp point.
• Perforate: To make a line of holes in something, often to make it easier to tear.
• Deflate: To let air or gas out of something; also used figuratively.
• Prick: To make a very small hole with a sharp point.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Puncture" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is typically contained in the single verb form.)

Related Idioms

• "Puncture a myth": To disprove or show the falseness of a widely held belief.
  • The new scientific study punctured the myth that lightning never strikes the same place twice.
• "Puncture someone's bubble": To shatter someone's illusion, dream, or feeling of happiness.
  • The harsh feedback from the manager punctured her bubble of excitement about the new project.

Học thuật

Noun

1. the act of puncturing or perforating
2. a small hole made by a sharp object
3. loss of air pressure in a tire when a hole is made by some sharp object

Verb

1. be pierced or punctured
   • The tire punctured
2. cause to lose air pressure or collapse by piercing
   • puncture an air balloon
3. reduce or lessen the size or importance of
   • The bad review of his work deflated his self-confidence
4. make by piercing
   • puncture a hole
5. pierce with a pointed object; make a hole into
   • puncture a tire

Từ đồng nghĩa

• deflate