Masquerade Tattoo, Inc. | Glossary of Terms

Piercing;

The practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. Body piercing is a form of body modification.

pierc·ing   [peer-sing] Show IPA
–adjective
1. loud or shrill, as the quality of a voice. 2. extremely cold or bitter: a piercing wind. 3. appearing to gaze deeply or penetratingly into something: piercing eyes. 4. perceptive or aware; acute: a piercing mind. 5. sarcastic or caustic; cutting: piercing remarks.

–verb (used without object)
10.
to force or make a way into or through something; penetrate: to pierce to the heart.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME percen < OF perc(i)er < VL *pertūsiāre, v. deriv. of L pertūsus, ptp. of pertundere to bore a hole through, perforate, equiv. to per- per- + tundere to strike, beat

—Synonyms
1. enter, puncture. Pierce, penetrate suggest the action of one object passing through another or making a way through and into another. The terms are used both concretely and figuratively. To pierce is to perforate quickly, as by stabbing; it suggests the use of a sharp, pointed instrument which is impelled by force: to pierce the flesh with a knife; a scream pierces one's ears. Penetrate suggests a slow or difficult movement: No ordinary bullet can penetrate an elephant's hide; to penetrate the depths of one's ignorance. 8. touch, move, strike, thrill.

[ ref: dictionary.com, wikipedia.org]

See also: tattoo.about.com great piercing industry info at this link.