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piece

n. · v.
US //ˈpis// UK //pˈiːs// piece
  1. 1 a part of a whole (n.)
    A1 Beginner

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

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

    Example

    He cut the birthday cake into eight equal pieces for the guests.

    Example

    The archaeologist carefully brushed the dirt away from a small piece of pottery that appeared to be part of a Roman water jug.
  2. 2 an item in a set (n.)
    A2 Elementary

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

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

    Example

    I think I lost a piece of my new Lego set under the sofa.

    Example

    The set of fine china was missing a single piece, which significantly reduced its value at the auction.
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  1. 3 art or writing (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a single work of art, music, or writing.

    a distinct artistic, musical, or literary composition.

    Example

    She wrote a beautiful piece of music for the school concert.

    Example

    The journalist submitted a controversial piece regarding the city's new housing policy for the Sunday edition of the newspaper.
  2. 4 game figure (n.)
    A2 Elementary

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

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

    Example

    He moved his chess piece across the board to protect his king.

    Example

    The antique backgammon set featured hand-carved pieces made from polished stone and ivory.
  3. 5 a weapon (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal American English Military

    a gun or a large military weapon.

    a firearm or an individual artillery gun.

    Example

    The police officer noticed the suspect was carrying a piece in his waistband.

    Example

    The battery consisted of four heavy artillery pieces positioned strategically along the ridge to overlook the valley.
  4. 6 a snack (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Dialect British English

    a slice of bread or a small sandwich.

    a slice of bread or a light snack, often a sandwich.

    Example

    The children came inside for a piece and a glass of milk after playing.

    Example

    In some regions, a 'piece' refers specifically to a jam sandwich taken as a midday snack.
  5. 7 to assemble (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to put different parts together to make a whole thing.

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

    Example

    The detective tried to piece together what happened on the night of the crime.

    Example

    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'.
Origin

From Middle English pece, peece, peice, from Old French piece, from Late Latin petia, pettia, possibly from Gaulish pettyā, from Proto-Celtic kʷezdis (“piece, portion, quota”). Compare Welsh peth, Breton pez (“thing”), Irish cuid. Compare French pièce, Portuguese peça, Spanish pieza, Italian pezza, Italian pezzo.

Idioms12 entries

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