I. ˈpēs noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin * pettia, of Gaulish origin; akin to Welsh peth thing
Date: 13th century
1. : a part of a whole: as
a. : fragment
piece s of broken glass
b. : any of the individual members comprising a unit — often used in combination
a five- piece band
a three- piece suit
c. : portion , allocation
a piece of the jackpot
2. : an object or individual regarded as a unit of a kind or class
a piece of fruit
3. : a usually unspecified distance
down the road a piece
4. : a standard quantity (as of length, weight, or size) in which something is made or sold
5. : a literary, journalistic, artistic, dramatic, or musical composition
6. : firearm
7. : coin ; also : token
8. : a movable object used in playing a board game ; specifically : a chessman other than a pawn
9. : opinion , view
spoke his piece
10.
a. usually vulgar : an act of copulation
b. usually vulgar : the female partner in sexual intercourse
11. : instance , example
silly piece of nonsense
a nice piece of acting
Synonyms: see part
•
- of a piece
- piece of one's mind
- piece of the action
- to pieces
II. transitive verb
( pieced ; piec·ing )
Date: 15th century
1. : to repair, renew, or complete by adding pieces : patch
2. : to join into a whole — often used with together
his new book…has been pieced together from talks — Merle Miller
• piec·er noun