pier

pier — noun

1. a built walkway that starts on land and stretches over the water, where people s

1.nounC1
Definition

a built walkway that starts on land and stretches over the water, where people stroll, fish, or spend time at cafes and rides

Example

Emma and her cousins bought hot chips on the old pier.

pleasure pier used for strolling and snacks

At sunset, tourists stopped along the pier to watch fishing boats.

walk along the pier

Common collocations
  • pleasure pier
  • seaside pier
  • walk along the pier
  • at the end of the pier
  • fish from the pier
Synonyms
  • boardwalk

    usually runs beside the shore rather than out over the water

  • jetty

    often narrower and more practical, sometimes built to protect the shore

  • promenade

    a public place for walking, usually on land by the sea

  • wharf

    more strongly linked with loading boats or goods than leisure

Grammar Patterns

walk along the pier

on the pier

at the end of the pier

Usage Note

Common for a pleasure pier in a seaside town, especially one with food stalls, rides, or fishing spots. Distinguish from sense 2, which is named for people getting on and off boats.

Common Mistakes

We ate ice cream on the dock after the concert.
We ate ice cream on the pier after the concert.
a pleasure pier is made for people to walk and relax on; a dock is mainly for boats.

2. a low platform beside the water where a boat stops so passengers can get on or o

2.nounC1
Definition

a low platform beside the water where a boat stops so passengers can get on or off

Example

The tour boat leaves from the pier beside the green ticket office.

leave from the pier

Workers held the rope steady while passengers stepped onto the pier.

step onto the pier

Common collocations
  • ferry pier
  • river pier
  • leave from the pier
  • pull up at the pier
  • step onto the pier
Synonyms
  • dock

    common general word, especially in North American English, for a place where boats stop

  • landing stage

    more exact term for a platform used for getting on and off boats

  • wharf

    often larger and more connected with cargo as well as passengers

Grammar Patterns

leave from the pier

pull up at the pier

step onto the pier

Usage Note

Often used with ferry, river bus, or a numbered pier in timetables. Distinguish from sense 1, where the structure is a destination for walking or entertainment.

Common Mistakes

We waited the ferry in the pier.
We waited for the ferry at the pier.
use 'at the pier' for the place and 'wait for' with the boat.

3. a thick upright support that holds up part of a bridge, roof, wall, or similar s

3.nounC1
Definition

a thick upright support that holds up part of a bridge, roof, wall, or similar structure

Example

Engineers checked each concrete pier before reopening the highway bridge.

bridge pier / concrete pier

The old station roof still rests on four stone piers.

roof rests on piers

Common collocations
  • bridge pier
  • concrete pier
  • stone pier
  • brick pier
  • central pier
Synonyms
  • pillar

    general word for an upright support, often in buildings

  • column

    often suggests a shaped architectural support rather than a bridge support

  • stanchion

    usually thinner and narrower than a pier

Grammar Patterns

bridge pier

roof rests on piers

pier supporting [structure]

Usage Note

Common in engineering and building contexts and often modified by material words such as concrete, stone, or steel. In bridge use, a pier supports spans from below rather than carrying traffic across.

Common Mistakes

The bridge stands on two big columns in the river.
The bridge stands on two big piers in the river.
for the main supports under bridge spans, 'pier' is the exact word.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun sense 1, pier is a broad word for a structure that goes out from shore into the water and that people can walk on. Dock is often the everyday transport word when boats come alongside, especially in North American English, so it fits sense 2 more naturally than a pleasure pier with cafes. Wharf usually suggests a working loading area for goods or commercial boats, not an amusement place. Jetty often names a narrower structure built mainly to protect a shore or guide boats, though people may stand on it. Boardwalk is different again: it is usually a seaside walking path on land or right beside the beach. If a family buys ice cream and strolls above the sea, pier is best.

dock ↗wharfjettyboardwalk

Common collocations

Nouns

  • wooden pier
  • stone pier
  • concrete pier

Phrases

  • build a pier
  • repair a pier

Etymology

Medieval LatinOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Pier entered English in the late Old English to Middle English period from Medieval Latin pera, a word of uncertain deeper origin. The early English use referred to a support in a bridge, and later the word was also used for a structure reaching out into water, so modern English keeps both the building sense and the waterfront sense.