Ear-piercing is a form of body modification that involves making a hole in the earlobe or other parts of the ear. It is usually done with a needle or a piercing gun. The term 'ear-piercing' can refer to both the act of piercing and the jewelry worn in the pierced area. The two crossword solutions, LOUD (4 letters) and OVERLOUD (8 letters), are both adjectives used to describe the sound of something that is very LOUD. Ear-piercing is often associated with a LOUD sound, as the needle or gun used to pierce the ear makes a LOUD noise.