- piece
- [[t]pis[/t]]n. v. pieced, piec•ing1) a limited portion or quantity of something:a piece of land[/ex]2) a quantity of some substance or material forming a single mass or body:a piece of lumber[/ex]3) a portion or quantity of a whole:a piece of pie[/ex]4) tex a particular length, as of certain goods prepared for the market:cloth sold by the piece[/ex]5) an amount of work forming a single job:to be paid by the piece[/ex]6) an example of artistic creativity or workmanship, as a painting or a musical or literary composition7) chsa) one of the figures, disks, or the like, used in playing a board gameb) (in chess) a superior man, as distinguished from a pawn8) an individual thing of a particular class or set:a piece of furniture[/ex]9) an example, specimen, or instance of something:a fine piece of work[/ex]10) a part, fragment, or shred:to tear a letter into pieces[/ex]11) one's opinion or thoughts on a subject12) mila) a soldier's rifle, pistol, etcb) a cannon or other unit of ordnance:field piece[/ex]13) a coin:a five-cent piece[/ex]14) dial. Midland and Southern U.S. a distance:down the road a piece[/ex]15) off dial. Also called piece′ of ass′. vulgar sl.a) coitusb) usu. off. a person considered as a partner in coitus16) to mend by adding a piece or pieces; patch17) to complete or extend by an added piece or something additional (often fol. by out):to piece out a library with new books[/ex]18) to make by or as if by joining pieces (often fol. by together):to piece together a musical program[/ex]19) to join together, as pieces or parts20) to join as a piece or addition to something:to piece new wire into the cable[/ex]21) to assemble into a meaningful whole by combining available facts, information, etc•- go to pieces of a piece, of the same kind; harmonious; consistent. Also, of one piece. piece of cake piece of one's mind piece of the actionEtymology: 1175–1225; ME pece < OF < Gaulish *pettia; akin to Breton pez piece, Welsh, Cornish peth thing piec′er, n. usage: Definitions21aand21bare vulgar slang. Definition21bis usually perceived as insulting.
From formal English to slang. 2014.