PIECE


Meaning of PIECE in English

(~s, piecing, ~d)

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.

1.

A ~ of something is an amount of it that has been broken off, torn off, or cut off.

...a ~ of cake.

...a few words scrawled on a ~ of paper...

Cut the ham into ~s...

Do you want another ~?

N-COUNT: usu N of n

2.

A ~ of an object is one of the individual parts or sections which it is made of, especially a part that can be removed.

The equipment was taken down the shaft in ~s.

= bit

N-COUNT

3.

A ~ of land is an area of land.

People struggle to get the best ~ of land.

N-COUNT: usu N of n

4.

You can use ~ of with many uncount nouns to refer to an individual thing of a particular kind. For example, you can refer to some advice as a ~ of advice.

When I produced this ~ of work, my lecturers were very critical...

...an interesting ~ of information.

...a sturdy ~ of furniture...

N-COUNT: N of n

5.

You can refer to an article in a newspaper or magazine, some music written by someone, a broadcast, or a play as a ~.

I disagree with Andrew Russell over his ~ on British Rail.

N-COUNT

6.

You can refer to a work of art as a ~. (FORMAL)

Each ~ is unique, an exquisite painting of a real person, done on ivory...

N-COUNT

7.

You can refer to specific coins as ~s. For example, a 10p ~ is a coin that is worth 10p.

N-COUNT: supp N

8.

The ~s which you use when you play a board game such as chess are the specially made objects which you move around on the board.

N-COUNT

9.

A ~ of something is part of it or a share of it. (AM)

They got a small ~ of the net profits and a screen credit.

QUANT: QUANT of def-n

10.

see also museum ~ , party ~ , set ~

11.

If you give someone a ~ of your mind, you tell them very clearly that you think they have behaved badly. (INFORMAL)

How very thoughtless. I’ll give him a ~ of my mind.

PHRASE: V inflects

12.

If something with several different parts is all of a ~, each part is consistent with the others. If one thing is of a ~ with another, it is consistent with it.

At its peak in the Thirties, Underground design and architecture was all of a ~...

PHRASE: v-link PHR, oft PHR with n

13.

If someone or something is still in one ~ after a dangerous journey or experience, they are safe and not damaged or hurt.

...providing that my brother gets back alive and in one ~ from his mission.

= intact

PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v

14.

You use to ~s in expressions such as ‘smash to ~s’, and mainly in British English ‘fall to ~s’ or ‘take something to ~s’, when you are describing how something is broken or comes apart so that it is in separate ~s.

If the shell had hit the boat, it would have blown it to ~s...

Do you wear your old clothes until they fall to ~s?

PHRASE: PHR after v

15.

If you go to ~s, you are so upset or nervous that you lose control of yourself and cannot do what you should do. (INFORMAL)

She’s a strong woman, but she nearly went to ~s when Arnie died.

PHRASE: V inflects

16.

a ~ of the action: see action

bits and ~s: see bit

a ~ of cake: see cake

to pick up the ~s: see pick up

Collins COBUILD.      Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык Коллинз COBUILD (международная база данных языков Бирмингемского университета) .