# piece

/ˈpis/ (US) · /pˈiːs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/piece
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a part of a whole

noun · CEFR A1

a part of something that has been broken, cut, or separated from the rest.

For teachers: a portion or fragment of a larger entity, typically separated or intended to be separate.

- He cut the birthday cake into eight equal pieces for the guests.
- The archaeologist carefully brushed the dirt away from a small piece of pottery that appeared to be part of a Roman water jug.

### 2. an item in a set

noun · CEFR A2

one single item that belongs to a group or a set of things.

For teachers: an individual unit belonging to a class of similar items or forming part of a collection.

- I think I lost a piece of my new Lego set under the sofa.
- The set of fine china was missing a single piece, which significantly reduced its value at the auction.

### 3. art or writing

noun · CEFR B1

a single work of art, music, or writing.

For teachers: a distinct artistic, musical, or literary composition.

- She wrote a beautiful piece of music for the school concert.
- The journalist submitted a controversial piece regarding the city's new housing policy for the Sunday edition of the newspaper.

### 4. game figure

noun · CEFR A2

one of the objects you move on a board when playing a game like chess.

For teachers: a figure or token used to represent a player or a specific role in a board game.

- He moved his chess piece across the board to protect his king.
- The antique backgammon set featured hand-carved pieces made from polished stone and ivory.

### 5. a weapon

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · American English

a gun or a large military weapon.

For teachers: a firearm or an individual artillery gun.

- The police officer noticed the suspect was carrying a piece in his waistband.
- The battery consisted of four heavy artillery pieces positioned strategically along the ridge to overlook the valley.

### 6. a snack

noun · CEFR B2 · Dialect · British English

a slice of bread or a small sandwich.

For teachers: a slice of bread or a light snack, often a sandwich.

- The children came inside for a piece and a glass of milk after playing.
- In some regions, a 'piece' refers specifically to a jam sandwich taken as a midday snack.

### 7. to assemble

verb · CEFR B1

to put different parts together to make a whole thing.

For teachers: to assemble or join various components together, often used figuratively with 'together'.

- The detective tried to piece together what happened on the night of the crime.
- It took the historians several years to piece together the fragmented records of the lost colony.

Usage: Usually used as the phrasal verb 'piece together'.

## Examples

- I would like a small piece of cake.
- She carefully placed the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle into the center of the board.
- The museum curator spent months identifying each ceramic piece recovered from the site to ensure the ancient vase was reconstructed with absolute historical accuracy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.