piece
♦♦ piece /p'iːs/ (pieces piecing pieced)
1 [N-COUNT] usu N of n
A piece of something is an amount of it that has been broken off, torn off, or cut off.
...a piece of cake.
...a few words scrawled on a piece of paper...
Cut the ham into pieces...
Do you want another piece?
2 [N-COUNT]
A piece of an object is one of the individual parts or sections which it is made of, especially a part that can be removed.
The equipment was taken down the shaft in pieces.
= bit
3 [N-COUNT] usu N of n
A piece of land is an area of land.
People struggle to get the best piece of land.
4 [N-COUNT] N of n
You can use piece of with many uncount nouns to refer to an individual thing of a particular kind. For example, you can refer to some advice as a piece of advice.
When I produced this piece of work, my lecturers were very critical...
...an interesting piece of information.
...a sturdy piece of furniture...
5 [N-COUNT]
You can refer to an article in a newspaper or magazine, some music written by someone, a broadcast, or a play as a piece.
I disagree with Andrew Russell over his piece on British Rail.
6 [N-COUNT]
You can refer to a work of art as a piece. (FORMAL)
Each piece is unique, an exquisite painting of a real person, done on ivory...
7 [N-COUNT] supp N
You can refer to specific coins as pieces. For example, a 10p piece is a coin that is worth 10p.
8 [N-COUNT]
The pieces which you use when you play a board game such as chess are the specially made objects which you move around on the board.
9 [QUANT] QUANT of def-n
A piece of something is part of it or a share of it. (AM)
They got a small piece of the net profits and a screen credit.
10
see also museum piece, party piece,
11 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you give someone a piece of your mind, you tell them very clearly that you think they have behaved badly. (INFORMAL)
How very thoughtless. I'll give him a piece of my mind.
12 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, oft PHR with n
If something with several different parts is all of a piece, each part is consistent with the others. If one thing is of a piece with another, it is consistent with it.
At its peak in the Thirties, Underground design and architecture was all of a piece...
13 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
If someone or something is still in one piece after a dangerous journey or experience, they are safe and not damaged or hurt.
...providing that my brother gets back alive and in one piece from his mission.
= intact
14 [PHRASE] PHR after v
You use to pieces in expressions such as `smash to pieces', and mainly in British English `fall to pieces' or `take something to pieces', when you are describing how something is broken or comes apart so that it is in separate pieces.
If the shell had hit the boat, it would have blown it to pieces...
Do you wear your old clothes until they fall to pieces?
15 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you go to pieces, you are so upset or nervous that you lose control of yourself and cannot do what you should do. (INFORMAL)
She's a strong woman, but she nearly went to pieces when Arnie died.
16
a piece of the action: see action
bits and pieces: see bit
a piece of cake: see cake
to pick up the pieces: see pick upmu|seum piece (museum pieces)
[N-COUNT]
If you describe an object or building as a museum piece, you mean that it is old and unusual.
One day these are multi-million dollar war machines and the next they are museum pieces.par|ty piece (party pieces)
[N-COUNT] oft poss N
Someone's party piece is something that they often do to entertain people, especially at parties, for example singing a particular song or saying a particular poem. (INFORMAL)pe|ri|od piece (period pieces)
[N-COUNT]
A period piece is a play, book, or film that is set at a particular time in history and describes life at that time.piece together
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V P wh, V n P
If you piece together the truth about something, you gradually discover it.
They've pieced together his movements for the last few days before his death...
In the following days, Francis was able to piece together what had happened...
Frank was beginning to piece things together.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If you piece something together, you gradually make it by joining several things or parts together.
This process is akin to piecing together a jigsaw puzzle...set piece (set pieces)
also set-piece
1 [N-COUNT] oft N n
A set piece is an occasion such as a battle or a move in a game of football that is planned and carried out in an ordered way.
Guerrillas avoid fighting set-piece battles...
2 [N-COUNT]
A set piece is a part of a film, novel, or piece of music which has a strong dramatic effect and which is often not an essential part of the main story.
...the film's martial arts set pieces.think piece (think pieces)
also think-piece
[N-COUNT]
A think piece is an article in a newspaper or magazine that discusses a particular subject in a serious and thoughtful way.
1 [N-COUNT] usu N of n
A piece of something is an amount of it that has been broken off, torn off, or cut off.
...a piece of cake.
...a few words scrawled on a piece of paper...
Cut the ham into pieces...
Do you want another piece?
2 [N-COUNT]
A piece of an object is one of the individual parts or sections which it is made of, especially a part that can be removed.
The equipment was taken down the shaft in pieces.
= bit
3 [N-COUNT] usu N of n
A piece of land is an area of land.
People struggle to get the best piece of land.
4 [N-COUNT] N of n
You can use piece of with many uncount nouns to refer to an individual thing of a particular kind. For example, you can refer to some advice as a piece of advice.
When I produced this piece of work, my lecturers were very critical...
...an interesting piece of information.
...a sturdy piece of furniture...
5 [N-COUNT]
You can refer to an article in a newspaper or magazine, some music written by someone, a broadcast, or a play as a piece.
I disagree with Andrew Russell over his piece on British Rail.
6 [N-COUNT]
You can refer to a work of art as a piece. (FORMAL)
Each piece is unique, an exquisite painting of a real person, done on ivory...
7 [N-COUNT] supp N
You can refer to specific coins as pieces. For example, a 10p piece is a coin that is worth 10p.
8 [N-COUNT]
The pieces which you use when you play a board game such as chess are the specially made objects which you move around on the board.
9 [QUANT] QUANT of def-n
A piece of something is part of it or a share of it. (AM)
They got a small piece of the net profits and a screen credit.
10
see also museum piece, party piece,
11 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you give someone a piece of your mind, you tell them very clearly that you think they have behaved badly. (INFORMAL)
How very thoughtless. I'll give him a piece of my mind.
12 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, oft PHR with n
If something with several different parts is all of a piece, each part is consistent with the others. If one thing is of a piece with another, it is consistent with it.
At its peak in the Thirties, Underground design and architecture was all of a piece...
13 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
If someone or something is still in one piece after a dangerous journey or experience, they are safe and not damaged or hurt.
...providing that my brother gets back alive and in one piece from his mission.
= intact
14 [PHRASE] PHR after v
You use to pieces in expressions such as `smash to pieces', and mainly in British English `fall to pieces' or `take something to pieces', when you are describing how something is broken or comes apart so that it is in separate pieces.
If the shell had hit the boat, it would have blown it to pieces...
Do you wear your old clothes until they fall to pieces?
15 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you go to pieces, you are so upset or nervous that you lose control of yourself and cannot do what you should do. (INFORMAL)
She's a strong woman, but she nearly went to pieces when Arnie died.
16
a piece of the action: see action
bits and pieces: see bit
a piece of cake: see cake
to pick up the pieces: see pick upmu|seum piece (museum pieces)
[N-COUNT]
If you describe an object or building as a museum piece, you mean that it is old and unusual.
One day these are multi-million dollar war machines and the next they are museum pieces.par|ty piece (party pieces)
[N-COUNT] oft poss N
Someone's party piece is something that they often do to entertain people, especially at parties, for example singing a particular song or saying a particular poem. (INFORMAL)pe|ri|od piece (period pieces)
[N-COUNT]
A period piece is a play, book, or film that is set at a particular time in history and describes life at that time.piece together
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V P wh, V n P
If you piece together the truth about something, you gradually discover it.
They've pieced together his movements for the last few days before his death...
In the following days, Francis was able to piece together what had happened...
Frank was beginning to piece things together.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If you piece something together, you gradually make it by joining several things or parts together.
This process is akin to piecing together a jigsaw puzzle...set piece (set pieces)
also set-piece
1 [N-COUNT] oft N n
A set piece is an occasion such as a battle or a move in a game of football that is planned and carried out in an ordered way.
Guerrillas avoid fighting set-piece battles...
2 [N-COUNT]
A set piece is a part of a film, novel, or piece of music which has a strong dramatic effect and which is often not an essential part of the main story.
...the film's martial arts set pieces.think piece (think pieces)
also think-piece
[N-COUNT]
A think piece is an article in a newspaper or magazine that discusses a particular subject in a serious and thoughtful way.