plural
pieces
plural
pieces
Britannica Dictionary definition of PIECE
1
[count]
a
:
an amount that is cut or separated from a larger section of something
—
often + of
-
I need a few more pieces of tape.
-
a long piece of string
-
a piece of wood/metal/plastic/leather/cloth
-
a piece of steak/chicken/fish
-
a piece [=slice] of pizza/bread/cake
—
see also piece of cake
b
:
an amount of something considered separately from the rest
—
+ of
2
[count]
:
a small often broken part of something
-
pieces [=fragments] of broken glass
-
You have a piece of lettuce stuck between your teeth.
-
Her broken bicycle lay in pieces by the side of the road.
-
I watched her rip the letter to/into pieces and throw it away.
-
The old bridge was blown to pieces [=blown apart] during the war.
3
[count]
:
one of the parts that form a complete thing when they are put together
-
There are 12 pieces in this stainless steel knife set.
-
a jigsaw puzzle with 500 pieces
-
We're missing one piece of the puzzle.
-
They built up the stone wall one piece at a time. = They built up the stone wall piece by piece.
-
I took apart the engine piece by piece and put it back together again.
-
(Brit) The rifle comes to pieces [=it separates into parts] for easy storage.
-
(Brit) They took the bed to pieces [=they took apart the bed] and moved it out of the room.
—
often used in combination
-
a three-piece suit
-
one-piece bathing suits
-
a five-piece band
4
[singular]
:
a part of someone or something that is shared with other people
:
portion
—
+ of
-
a piece of the jackpot
-
They went there to claim a piece of the American dream for themselves.
-
The town is growing fast, and these construction companies want a piece of the new housing market.
-
Once she became famous, everyone wanted a piece of her. = Everyone wanted a piece of her time. [=everyone wanted her to do things for them]
—
see also a piece of the action at action, a piece of the pie at pie
5
[count]
:
one of a particular type of thing
—
+ of
-
Please take out a piece [=sheet] of paper and write your name on the top.
-
I packed three pieces of fruit: two apples and a banana.
-
a piece of candy/chalk
-
We had several new pieces of furniture delivered to our home.
-
You got two pieces of mail today.
-
a piece of clothing
-
an expensive piece of jewelry/luggage/equipment
-
His last car was a piece of junk. [=it was worthless or of poor quality]
—
see also conversation piece, piece of work
6
[count]
:
an example or amount of something
—
usually singular
—
+ of
-
May I offer you a piece [=bit] of advice? [=may I offer you some advice?]
-
I just heard a wonderful piece of news!
-
a new piece of information/evidence
-
an important piece of legislation
-
a silly piece of nonsense
-
That's a really nice piece of work you've done there!
-
an impressive piece of acting
-
a famous piece [=work] of art/literature/music
7
[count]
a
:
a work of art, music, drama, or literature
-
The statue David is one of Michelangelo's most famous pieces.
-
a piece painted by Pablo Picasso
-
Next, we will be performing a piece by J. S. Bach.
-
a piano piece = a piece (written) for piano
-
They performed a short dramatic piece written for the king's birthday.
—
see also museum piece, period piece, set piece
b
:
an article in a newspaper or magazine or one of the parts of a television or radio news program
—
often + about or on
—
see also puff piece
8
[count]
:
one of the small movable objects in a game like chess or checkers
9
[count]
a
:
a coin that has a specified value
-
a 50-cent piece
-
a 10-pence piece
b
:
a coin that is made of a specified metal
10
[count]
:
gun
-
(chiefly US, informal) He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece. [=handgun]
-
artillery pieces [=large guns that shoot over long distances] from the First World War
11
[singular]
US, informal
:
an amount of distance that is not specified
bits and pieces
—
see 1bit
fall to pieces
2
:
to become ruined or destroyed
3
:
to become unable to control your emotions
-
She falls to pieces [=breaks down] when she tries to talk about the accident.
-
When he heard the bad news, he just fell to pieces. [=he started to cry]
give someone a piece of your mind
—
see 1mind
go to pieces
:
to become unable to behave normally because you are very nervous or upset
in one piece
:
without being hurt or damaged
-
It was a difficult trip, but we all made it home in one piece. [=safe and sound]
-
All our furniture arrived in one piece.
of a piece
1
:
having similar qualities or characteristics
:
matching each other or belonging together
2
:
in agreement or harmony with something
pick (someone or something) to pieces
—
see 1pick
pick up the pieces
—
see pick up at 1pick
say your piece
:
to say what you want to say
:
to express your opinions or ideas
-
You will all be given a chance to say your piece [=speak your mind] at the meeting tonight.
-
You've said your piece, now please let me respond.
tear (someone or something) to pieces
—
see 1tear
to pieces
informal
:
to a very great degree
:
very much
—
see also 1piece 2, 3 (above)
2
piece
/ˈpiːs/
verb
pieces;
pieced;
piecing
pieces;
pieced;
piecing
Britannica Dictionary definition of PIECE
piece together
[phrasal verb]
piece (something) together
or
piece together (something)
:
to make (something) by bringing together various parts or pieces
:
to bring together (various parts or pieces) to form one complete thing