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7 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]
Piece \Piece\, n. [OE. pece, F. pi[`e]ce, LL. pecia, petia,
petium, probably of Celtic origin; cf. W. peth a thing, a
part, portion, a little, Armor. pez, Gael. & Ir. cuid part,
share. Cf. Petty.]
1. A fragment or part of anything separated from the whole,
in any manner, as by cutting, splitting, breaking, or
tearing; a part; a portion; as, a piece of sugar; to break
in pieces.
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Bring it out piece by piece. --Ezek. xxiv.
6.
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2. A definite portion or quantity, as of goods or work; as, a
piece of broadcloth; a piece of wall paper.
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3. Any one thing conceived of as apart from other things of
the same kind; an individual article; a distinct single
effort of a series; a definite performance; especially:
(a) A literary or artistic composition; as, a piece of
poetry, music, or statuary.
(b) A musket, gun, or cannon; as, a battery of six pieces;
a following piece.
(c) A coin; as, a sixpenny piece; -- formerly applied
specifically to an English gold coin worth 22
shillings.
(d) A fact; an item; as, a piece of news; a piece of
knowledge.
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4. An individual; -- applied to a person as being of a
certain nature or quality; often, but not always, used
slightingly or in contempt. ``If I had not been a piece of
a logician before I came to him.'' --Sir P. Sidney.
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Thy mother was a piece of virtue. --Shak.
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His own spirit is as unsettled a piece as there is
in all the world. --Coleridge.
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5. (Chess) One of the superior men, distinguished from a
pawn.
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6. A castle; a fortified building. [Obs.] --Spenser.
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Of a piece, of the same sort, as if taken from the same
whole; like; -- sometimes followed by with. --Dryden.
Piece of eight, the Spanish piaster, formerly divided into
eight reals.
To give a piece of one's mind to, to speak plainly,
bluntly, or severely to (another). --Thackeray.
Piece broker, one who buys shreds and remnants of cloth to
sell again.
Piece goods, goods usually sold by pieces or fixed
portions, as shirtings, calicoes, sheetings, and the like.
[1913 Webster]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]
5. (Chess) One of the superior men, distinguished from a
pawn.
6. A castle; a fortified building. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Of a piece, of the same sort, as if taken from the same
whole; like; -- sometimes followed by with. --Dryden.
Piece of eight, the Spanish piaster, formerly divided into
eight reals.
To give a piece of one's mind to, to speak plainly,
bluntly, or severely to (another). --Thackeray.
Piece broker, one who buys shreds and remnants of cloth to
sell again.
Piece goods, goods usually sold by pieces or fixed
portions, as shirtings, calicoes, sheetings, and the like.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 : [ wn ]
piece of eight
n : an old silver Spanish coin; worth 8 reales
From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]
piece of eight
n.
(lb en historical) The peso, a silver coin that was minted in Spain
and its colonies from the end of 15th century, equal to eight reales
(hence the name).
From English Wiktionary: English language only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-en-2023-07-27 ]
piece of eight
n.
(lb en historical) The peso, a silver coin that was minted in Spain
and its colonies from the end of 15th century, equal to eight reales
(hence the name).
From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]
piece of eight
n.
(lb en historical) The peso, a silver coin that was minted in Spain
and its colonies from the end of 15th century, equal to eight reales
(hence the name).
From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]
piece of eight
n.
(lb en historical) The peso, a silver coin that was minted in Spain
and its colonies from the end of 15th century, equal to eight reales
(hence the name).
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