piece
pees
Piece (noun) means a part of something larger, especially one that can be separated from the rest. Example: “She cut the cake and gave each guest a piece.”
noun
1
A part of something larger, especially one that can be separated from the rest.
"She cut the cake and gave each guest a piece."
"A piece of the puzzle was missing from the box."
"He broke off a piece of chocolate to share."
2
A single artistic work, such as a song, article, or painting.
"The gallery's most famous piece is a huge painting of a stormy sea."
"I read a short piece in the newspaper about local gardening clubs."
"The pianist performed a beautiful piece by Chopin."
3
One of the figures used to play a board game such as chess.
"Each player starts the game with a small wooden piece on the first square."
"I lost a piece from the board game, so we used a coin instead."
"She moved her piece across the board and captured his knight."
verb
1
To put something together bit by bit, usually with "together".
"I tried to piece together the broken vase using a tube of glue."
"From a few old letters, he pieced together his grandmother's early life."
"Detectives pieced together what had happened that night."
How to use piece
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA part of something, a single item, or a creative work.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
piece together
piece of cake
a piece of work
news piece
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Word forms
- Plural
- pieces
- Third person singular
- pieces
- Past tense
- pieced
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She cut the cake and gave each guest a _____.
Etymology
From Old French piece, ultimately from a Gaulish Celtic word for a portion or share — related to modern Welsh peth ("thing").
Related words
Rhymes for piece
See all rhymes for piece →Frequently asked questions
What does “piece” mean?
The word “piece” means a part of something larger, especially one that can be separated from the rest. In plain terms, a part of something, a single item, or a creative work.
How do you pronounce “piece”?
“Piece” is pronounced pees (/piːs/ in IPA).
How do you use “piece” in a sentence?
Here is “piece” used in a sentence: “A piece of the puzzle was missing from the box.”
What is another word for “piece”?
Words with a similar meaning to “piece” include bit, chip, chunk, clip, crumb and crumbling.
What part of speech is “piece”?
Depending on how it is used, “piece” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “piece” come from?
The word “piece” comes from Old French. From Old French piece, ultimately from a Gaulish Celtic word for a portion or share — related to modern Welsh peth ("thing").
Is “piece” a common word?
“Piece” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “piece” have?
“Piece” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a part of something larger, especially one that can be separated from the rest.
What is the difference between piece and peace?
They sound identical but mean completely different things. A 'piece' is a part of something larger, like a piece of cake or a piece of the puzzle. 'Peace' means calm or the absence of conflict. If you can swap in the word 'part,' the one you want is piece.
What is the difference between a piece and a part?
The two overlap, but a piece is usually something that can be broken off or separated as a distinct unit, like a piece of a shattered plate. A part is any component of a whole, whether separable or not, such as part of a plan. Every piece is a part, but not every part is a piece.
What is an example of a piece?
A single slice cut from a pizza is a piece, as is one interlocking tile from a jigsaw or a fragment that has snapped off a larger object. Figuratively, 'a piece of the story' means one portion of a bigger whole. The word always signals a part of something larger.
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