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. abpos, 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. pyrian or pyrian . There is no similar word in Old French .