Pierceable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Able to be penetrated or punctured by a sharp object or force
2. Describing something that can be pierced or broken through with a pointed tool or pressure
3. Having the quality that allows an object to be pierced or have holes made in it

Etymology: "Pierceable" is about as transparent as English compounds get: it joins "pierce" and the suffix "-able", which turns a verb into an adjective meaning "capable of being" the thing the verb describes. So something pierceable is something that can be pierced, such as a thin fabric or a soft-shelled fruit. "Pierce" itself came into English from Old French "percier", which descends from a Vulgar Latin verb built on "pertusiare", meaning "to bore through". The Latin root sits behind the French verb, and the "-able" ending, borrowed through French from Latin "-abilis", was productive in English for centuries, so attaching it to a verb like "pierce" was an ordinary, unremarkable step.

Synonyms: perforable, penetrable, piercable, drillable, stab-able

Antonyms: impenetrable, solid, unyielding, thick, dense