Piece

/piːs/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A portion or part of a whole, often referring to a discrete item or segment.

Can I have a piece of cake?

An artistic work, such as a song, painting, or literary composition.

She composed a beautiful piece for the piano.

A unit of production or a distinct item used in a game.

He moved his piece on the chessboard.

An instance of something in a broader context, often used in expressions like 'a piece of advice' or 'a piece of news'.

I need a piece of advice on how to handle this situation.

verb

To break or split something into parts, or to assemble parts to create something.

They had to piece together the evidence to solve the case.

To form something by joining parts.

He pieced the puzzle after spending hours on it.

Middle English, from Old French 'piece', from Latin 'pax, paccis', meaning 'a weight, a portion'.

piece of cake

something very easy to do

piece of work

a person who is difficult or troublesome

to make a piece of

to create or assemble something

piece together

to combine parts to form a whole

bring to pieces

to break into many parts or to ruin something

fragment

a small part broken off or detached

segment

a part or section of something larger

component

a part or element of a larger whole

slice

a thin, broad piece cut from something

element

a basic or essential part of something

a gun

He pulled out his piece during the altercation.

a person or thing that is considered untrustworthy or not serious

That guy is a piece of work.