puncture

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

1 pierce with a pointed object; make a hole into; "puncture a tire"

2 make by piercing; "puncture a hole"

3 reduce or lessen the size or importance of; "The bad review of his work deflated his self-confidence" [syn: deflate]

4 cause to lose air pressure or collapse by piercing; "puncture an air balloon"

5 be pierced or punctured; "The tire punctured"

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) /ˈpʌŋktʃə/
• (US) /ˈpʌŋktʃɚ/
• Hyphenation: punc·ture

Noun

1. A hole, cut, or tear created by a sharp object.

   I got a puncture in my bicycle tire and had to walk home.

2. A hole, cut, or tear in a vehicle's tire.
   • 2001, Ken Follett, Jackdaws, Dutton, ISBN 0525946284, page 340,

     Dieter's car had suffered a puncture on the RN3 road between Paris and Meaux. A bent nail was stuck in the tire.

Synonyms

• flat tire; qualifier informal US flat

Translations

• French: piqûre
• Italian: puntura
• Portuguese: punctura, perfurar
• Spanish: pinchazo

Verb

1. To pierce; to break through; to tear a hole.

   The needle punctured the balloon instantly.

Puncture may mean:

• A wound caused by such objects as nails or needles
  • A puncture wound to the lungs may cause tension pneumothorax
  • A puncture wound to the heart may cause cardiac tamponade
• Penetration or leakage of any other object, especially a pneumatic tire. In British English "puncture" is the usual term; in American English a leaking tire is called a "flat"
• Puncture (band), an English punk band
• Puncturing, in coding theory, is the process of removing some of the bits in a data stream

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