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pore 1 (pôr)
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intr.v. pored, por·ing, pores
1. To read, study, or examine something carefully and attentively: pored over the documents in search of evidence.
2. To meditate deeply; ponder: pored on the matter.
3. Archaic To gaze intently; stare.

[Middle English pouren.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
pore 2 (pôr)
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n.
1. A minute opening in tissue, as in the skin of an animal, serving as an outlet for perspiration, or in a plant leaf or stem, serving as a means of absorption and transpiration.
2. A space in rock, soil, or unconsolidated sediment that is not occupied by mineral matter and that allows the passage or absorption of fluids: Water seeped into the pores of the rock.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin porus, passage, from Greek poros; see per-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.