means A structure built out from the shore over water, used as a landing place for boats or as a walkway for strolling.

from From Medieval Latin 'pera,' which passed into Old French and arrived in Middle English as 'per' — originally meaning a support or pillar, the kind that held up a bridge. The word's deep roots are uncertain, but the sense slid naturally from 'the thing that holds something up over water' to 'the walkway that strides out into the sea.'