piece, pece, peece, pese

[Fr. pièce, a word of unknown origin; cf. Low Lat. pedica, pet i- =a piece of land: Sp. pieza =a piece; Port. peça; Ital. pezza; Gr. peza a foot, the hem or border of um=a a garment.] IMG:content-1051.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-1052.png:[blocks in formation] *14. A castle, a building, a town. "Of this town and pece Count de Fuentes had the com- mand."- Speed: Hist. Great Britain, p. 1169. †15. A weapon, offensive or defensive. "There was a little quiver fellow, and a' would manage you his piece thus."-Shakesp.: Henry IV ., Pt . II ., iii. 2. *16. A drinking-cup. II. Technically: 1. Bookbinding: A tablet of leather occupying a panel on the back. 2. Che ; One of the superior men, as distinguished from a pawn. 3. Her.: An ordinary or charge. The fe e, the bend, the pale, the bar, the cro , the saltier, and the chevron are called honorable pieces. 1. Of a piece, all of a piece: Alike, like; of the same sort. (Often followed by with.) "Scarcely any other part of his life was of a piece with that splendid commencement." -Macaulay: Hist. Eng., ch. xv. 2. To give a piece of one's mind: To speak plainly or bluntly to one. (Generally in an uncompliment- ary manner.) 3. To fall to pieces: (1) To become disorganized; not to keep together. "During practice they had sometimes kept together, and had sometimes fallen to pieces."- Field , April 4, 1885. (2) To be brought to bed of a child.