piecepart; section; fragment; portion: a piece of cake; a musical or literary compositionNot to be confused with:peace ? quiet, calm, rapport, concord, truce; lack of hostility: a time of peaceAbused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embreepiece (p?s)n.1. A thing considered as a unit or an element of a larger thing, quantity, or class; a portion: a piece of string.2. A portion or part that has been separated from a whole: a piece of pie.3. An object that is one member of a group or class: a piece of furniture.4. An artistic, musical, or literary work or composition: “They are lively and well-plotted pieces, both in prose” (Tucker Brooke).5. An instance; a specimen: a piece of sheer folly.6. What one has to say about something; an opinion: speak one’s piece.7. A coin: a ten-cent piece.8. Games a. One of the counters or figures used in playing various board games.b. Any one of the chess figures other than a pawn.9. Slang A firearm, especially a rifle.10. Informal A given distance: “There was farm country down the road on the right a piece” (James Agee).tr.v. pieced, piec·ing, piec·es 1. To mend by adding pieces or a piece to: piece a dress.2. To join or unite the pieces of: He pieced together the vase. She pieced together an account of what had gone on during the stormy meeting.Idioms: a piece of (one’s) mind Frank and severe criticism; censure. of a piece Belonging to the same class or kind. piece by piece In stages: took the clock apart piece by piece. piece of ass Vulgar Slang A person, especially a woman, considered sexually attractive. piece of cake Informal Something very easy to do. piece of the action Slang A share of an activity or of profits: “a piece of the action in a Florida land deal” (Shana Alexander). piece of work A remarkable person, achievement, or product: “He’s a very tough piece of work” (Ted Koppel).[Middle English pece, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *pettia, probably of Celtic origin.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.piece (pi?s) n1. an amount or portion forming a separate mass or structure; bit: a piece of wood. 2. a small part, item, or amount forming part of a whole, esp when broken off or separated: a piece of bread. 3. (Commerce) a length by which a commodity is sold, esp cloth, wallpaper, etc4. an instance or occurrence: a piece of luck. 5. slang a girl or woman regarded as an object of sexual attraction: a nice piece. 6. an example or specimen of a style or type, such as an article of furniture: a beautiful piece of Dresden china. 7. informal an opinion or point of view: to state one’s piece. 8. (Art Terms) a literary, musical, or artistic composition9. (Currencies) a coin having a value as specified: fifty-pence piece. 10. (Games, other than specified) a small object, often individually shaped and designed, used in playing certain games, esp board games: chess pieces. 11. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) a. a firearm or cannonb. (in combination): fowling-piece. 12. (Chess & Draughts) any chessman other than a pawn13. US and Canadian a short time or distance: down the road a piece. 14. (Cookery) dialect a. a slice of bread or a sandwichb. a packed lunch taken to work, school, etc15. (Textiles) (usually plural) Austral and NZ fragments of fleece wool. See also oddment216. give someone a piece of one’s mind informal to criticize or censure someone frankly or vehemently17. go to pieces a. (of a person) to lose control of oneself; have a breakdownb. (of a building, organization, etc) to disintegrate18. nasty piece of work informal Brit a cruel or mean person19. of a piece of the same kind; alike20. piece of cake informal something easily obtained or achievedvb (tr) 21. (often foll by together) to fit or assemble piece by piece22. (Knitting & Sewing) (often foll by up) to patch or make up (a garment) by adding pieces23. (Textiles) textiles to join (broken threads) during spinning[C13 pece, from Old French, of Gaulish origin; compare Breton pez piece, Welsh peth portion]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014piece (pis) n., v. pieced, piec?ing. n. 1. a limited portion or quantity of something: a piece of land. 2. a quantity of some substance or material forming a single mass or body: a piece of lumber. 3. a portion or quantity of a whole: a piece of pie. 4. a particular length, as of certain goods prepared for the market: cloth sold by the piece. 5. an amount of work forming a single job: to be paid by the piece. 6. an example of artistic creativity or workmanship, as a painting or a musical or literary composition. 7. a. one of the figures, disks, or the like, used in playing a board game. b. (in chess) a superior man, as distinguished from a pawn. 8. an individual thing of a particular class or set: a piece of furniture. 9. an example, specimen, or instance of something: a fine piece of work. 10. a part, fragment, or shred: to tear a letter into pieces. 11. one’s opinion or thoughts on a subject. 12. a. a soldier’s rifle, pistol, etc. b. a cannon or other unit of ordnance: field piece. 13. a coin: a five-cent piece. 14. Midland and Southern U.S. a distance: down the road a piece. 15. Also called piece? of ass?. Vulgar Slang. a. coitus. b. Usually Offensive. a person considered as a partner in coitus. v.t. 16. to mend by adding a piece or pieces; patch. 17. to complete or extend by an added piece or something additional (often fol. by out): to piece out a library with new books. 18. to make by or as if by joining pieces (often fol. by together): to piece together a musical program. 19. to join together, as pieces or parts. 20. to join as a piece or addition to something: to piece new wire into the cable. 21. to assemble into a meaningful whole by combining available facts, information, etc. Idioms: 1. go to pieces, a. to break into fragments. b. to lose control of oneself; become emotionally or physically upset. 2. of a piece, of the same kind; harmonious; consistent. Also, of one piece. 3. piece of cake, Informal. something easily done. 4. piece of one’s mind, a sharp rebuke or scolding. 5. piece of the action, Informal. a share of the profits. [1175?1225; Middle English pece