The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Pierce \Pierce\, v. i.
   To enter; to penetrate; to make a way into or through
   something, as a pointed instrument does; -- used literally
   and figuratively.
   [1913 Webster]

         And pierced to the skin, but bit no more. --Spenser.
   [1913 Webster]

         She would not pierce further into his meaning. --Sir P.
                                                  Sidney.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Pierce \Pierce\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pierced; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Piercing.] [OE. percen, F. percer, OF. percier, perchier,
   parchier; perh. fr. (assumed) LL. pertusiare for pertusare,
   fr. L. pertundere, pertusum, to beat, push, bore through; per
   through + tundere to beat: cf. OF. pertuisier to pierce, F.
   pertuis a hole. Cf. Contuse, Parch, Pertuse.]
   1. To thrust into, penetrate, or transfix, with a pointed
      instrument. "I pierce . . . her tender side." --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To penetrate; to enter; to force a way into or through; to
      pass into or through; as, to pierce the enemy's line; a
      shot pierced the ship.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Fig.: To penetrate; to affect deeply; as, to pierce a
      mystery. "Pierced with grief." --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

            Can no prayers pierce thee?           --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

Pierce
    n 1: 14th President of the United States (1804-1869) [syn:
         Pierce, Franklin Pierce, President Pierce]
    v 1: cut or make a way through; "the knife cut through the
         flesh"; "The path pierced the jungle"; "Light pierced
         through the forest"
    2: move or affect (a person's emotions or bodily feelings)
       deeply or sharply; "The cold pierced her bones"; "Her words
       pierced the students"
    3: sound sharply or shrilly; "The scream pierced the night"
    4: penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument [syn:
       pierce, thrust]
    5: make a hole into; "The needle pierced her flesh"

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

185 Moby Thesaurus words for "pierce":
   abrade, affect, afflict, aggrieve, agonize, ail, anguish, auger,
   barb the dart, bark, bayonet, benumb, bite, blemish, bloody, bore,
   break, broach, bruise, burn, chafe, check, chill, chip, claw,
   come alive, come home to, comprehend, convulse, countersink, crack,
   craze, crucify, cut, cut up, dagger, descry, dirk, discern,
   discover, distress, drill, empierce, excruciate, fathom, fester,
   fix, fracture, fray, frazzle, freeze, fret, frost, frostbite,
   gain entree, gall, gash, get into, get through, give pain, gnaw,
   go deep, go through, go through one, gore, gouge, gouge out, grasp,
   grate, grieve, grind, gripe, harrow, hole, honeycomb, hurt,
   hurt the feelings, impale, incise, inflame, inflict pain, injure,
   interpenetrate, irritate, kill by inches, knife, lacerate, lance,
   maim, make an entrance, make mincemeat of, make out, make way into,
   martyr, martyrize, maul, melt, melt the heart, move, mutilate,
   needle, nip, numb, pain, pass through, penetrate, perceive,
   perforate, pinch, pink, plumb, plunge in, poke into, poniard,
   prick, prolong the agony, punch, puncture, put to torture, rack,
   rankle, rasp, realize, ream, ream out, refrigerate, rend, riddle,
   rip, rouse, rub, run, run into, run through, rupture, saber,
   savage, scald, scorch, scotch, scrape, scratch, scuff, see,
   see daylight, see into, see the light, see through, skewer, skin,
   slash, slice, slit, smart, soften, spear, spike, spit, sprain,
   stab, stick, stiletto, sting, stir, strain, strike, sword, tap,
   tear, torment, torture, touch, touch a chord, transfix,
   transpierce, traumatize, trepan, trephine, tweak, twist,
   twist the knife, understand, wound, wrench, wring



U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000):

Pierce -- U.S. County in Georgia
   Population (2000):    15636
   Housing Units (2000): 6719
   Land area (2000):     343.252449 sq. miles (889.019723 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.650957 sq. miles (1.685972 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    343.903406 sq. miles (890.705695 sq. km)
   Located within:       Georgia (GA), FIPS 13
   Location:             31.344717 N, 82.219039 W
   Headwords:
    Pierce
    Pierce, GA
    Pierce County
    Pierce County, GA


U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000):

Pierce -- U.S. County in Nebraska
   Population (2000):    7857
   Housing Units (2000): 3247
   Land area (2000):     573.926599 sq. miles (1486.463005 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    1.341066 sq. miles (3.473344 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    575.267665 sq. miles (1489.936349 sq. km)
   Located within:       Nebraska (NE), FIPS 31
   Location:             42.271344 N, 97.610948 W
   Headwords:
    Pierce
    Pierce, NE
    Pierce County
    Pierce County, NE


U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000):

Pierce -- U.S. County in North Dakota
   Population (2000):    4675
   Housing Units (2000): 2269
   Land area (2000):     1017.818245 sq. miles (2636.137042 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    64.341646 sq. miles (166.644091 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    1082.159891 sq. miles (2802.781133 sq. km)
   Located within:       North Dakota (ND), FIPS 38
   Location:             48.246230 N, 99.988330 W
   Headwords:
    Pierce
    Pierce, ND
    Pierce County
    Pierce County, ND


U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000):

Pierce -- U.S. County in Washington
   Population (2000):    700820
   Housing Units (2000): 277060
   Land area (2000):     1678.913627 sq. miles (4348.366146 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    127.582472 sq. miles (330.437071 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    1806.496099 sq. miles (4678.803217 sq. km)
   Located within:       Washington (WA), FIPS 53
   Location:             47.171571 N, 122.383565 W
   Headwords:
    Pierce
    Pierce, WA
    Pierce County
    Pierce County, WA


U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000):

Pierce -- U.S. County in Wisconsin
   Population (2000):    36804
   Housing Units (2000): 13493
   Land area (2000):     576.486252 sq. miles (1493.092474 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    15.098751 sq. miles (39.105584 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    591.585003 sq. miles (1532.198058 sq. km)
   Located within:       Wisconsin (WI), FIPS 55
   Location:             44.735376 N, 92.463689 W
   Headwords:
    Pierce
    Pierce, WI
    Pierce County
    Pierce County, WI


U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Pierce, NE -- U.S. city in Nebraska
   Population (2000):    1774
   Housing Units (2000): 736
   Land area (2000):     0.876814 sq. miles (2.270939 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.021368 sq. miles (0.055343 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.898182 sq. miles (2.326282 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            39100
   Located within:       Nebraska (NE), FIPS 31
   Location:             42.199477 N, 97.529321 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     68767
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Pierce, NE
    Pierce


U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Pierce, CO -- U.S. town in Colorado
   Population (2000):    884
   Housing Units (2000): 318
   Land area (2000):     0.737487 sq. miles (1.910083 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.737487 sq. miles (1.910083 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            59005
   Located within:       Colorado (CO), FIPS 08
   Location:             40.635134 N, 104.754574 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     80650
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Pierce, CO
    Pierce


U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Pierce, ID -- U.S. city in Idaho
   Population (2000):    617
   Housing Units (2000): 298
   Land area (2000):     0.824168 sq. miles (2.134585 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.824168 sq. miles (2.134585 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            62740
   Located within:       Idaho (ID), FIPS 16
   Location:             46.492566 N, 115.799466 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     83546
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Pierce, ID
    Pierce