1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Pore

PORE, a small opening or orifice, particularly used of the openings of the ducts of the sweat-glands in the skin or of the stomata in the epidermis of plants or those through which the pollen or seed are discharged from anthers or seed capsules. The word is an adaptation through the French from Lat. porus, Gr. πόρος, passage. In the sense of to look closely at, to read with persistent or close attention, “pore” is of obscure origin. It would seem to be connected with “peer,” to look closely into, and would point to an O. Eng. purian or pyrian. There is no similar word in Old French.