Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PIER, n. [Sax. per, pere; D. beer, steene beer. If this word is from the French pierre, it is a contraction of L. petra. But more probably it is not from the French.]

1. A mass of solid stone work for supporting an arch or the timbers of a bridge or other building.
2. A mass of stone work or a mole projecting into the sea, for breaking the force of the waves and making a safe harbor.
3. A part of the wall of a house between windows.