puncture

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 (BrE) a small hole in a tyre made by a sharp point: I had a puncture on the way and arrived late. seealsoFLATn.(6) 2 a small hole, especially in the skin, made by a sharp point: There were four small puncture marks on her wrist where the cat had bitten her. verb 1 to make a small hole in sth; to get a small hole: [VN] to puncture a tyre / balloon * She was taken to the hospital with broken ribs and a punctured lung. * [V] One of the front tyres had punctured. 2 [VN] (written) to suddenly make sb feel less confident, proud, etc: to puncture sb's confidence / complacency / illusions * The earlier mood of optimism had been punctured.