Pier
Pier , noun
[Old English pere, Old French piere a stone, French pierre, from Latin petra, Greek {not transcribed}. Compare Petrify.]
1.
(a) (Architecture) Any detached mass of masonry, whether insulated or supporting one side of an arch or lintel, as of a bridge; the piece of wall between two openings.
(b)
(Architecture) Any additional or auxiliary mass of masonry used to stiffen a wall. See Buttress.
2.
A projecting wharf or landing place.
Collocations (3)
Abutment pier , the pier of a bridge next the shore; a pier which by its strength and stability resists the thrust of an arch.
Pier glass , a mirror, of high and narrow shape, to be put up between windows.
Pier table , a table made to stand between windows.