Piece

pēs, n. a part of anything: a single article: a definite quantity, as of cloth or paper: an amount of work to be done at one time: a separate performance: a literary or artistic composition: a gun: a coin: a man in che or draughts: a person, generally a woman, in contempt.— v.t. to enlarge by adding a piece: to patch.— v.i. to unite by a joining of parts: to join.— n.pl . Piece′-goods , cotton, linen, woollen, or silk fabrics sold retail in varying lengths.— adj. Piece′le , not made of pieces: entire.— adv. Piece′meal , in pieces or fragments: by pieces: little by little: bit by bit: gradually.— adj. made of pieces: single: separate.— ns. Piec′ener , a piecer; Piec′ening , or Piec′ing , the act of mending, esp. the joining of the ends of yarn, thread, . so as to repair breaks; Piec′er , a boy or girl employed in a spinning-factory to join broken threads; Piece′work , work done by the piece or quantity rather than by time.— Pièce de résistance , principal piece: chief event or performance: chief dish at a dinner; Piece of eight , the Spanish peso duro ('hard dollar'), bearing the numeral 8, of the value of 8 reals (prob. the sign $ is derived from this); Piece out , to put together bit by bit; Piece up , to patch up.— Give a piece of one's mind , to give a rating frankly to any one's face; Of a piece , as if of the same piece, the same in nature, . [O. Fr. piece —Low L. petium , a piece of land—prob. L. pes , ped is , a foot.]