Piece goods

Piece goods
Piece Piece, n. [OE. pece, F. pi[`e]ce, LL. pecia, petia, petium, probably of Celtic origin; cf. W. peth a thing, a part, portion, a little, Armor. pez, Gael. & Ir. cuid part, share. Cf. {Petty}.] 1. A fragment or part of anything separated from the whole, in any manner, as by cutting, splitting, breaking, or tearing; a part; a portion; as, a piece of sugar; to break in pieces. [1913 Webster]

Bring it out piece by piece. --Ezek. xxiv. 6. [1913 Webster]

2. A definite portion or quantity, as of goods or work; as, a piece of broadcloth; a piece of wall paper. [1913 Webster]

3. Any one thing conceived of as apart from other things of the same kind; an individual article; a distinct single effort of a series; a definite performance; especially: (a) A literary or artistic composition; as, a piece of poetry, music, or statuary. (b) A musket, gun, or cannon; as, a battery of six pieces; a following piece. (c) A coin; as, a sixpenny piece; -- formerly applied specifically to an English gold coin worth 22 shillings. (d) A fact; an item; as, a piece of news; a piece of knowledge. [1913 Webster]

4. An individual; -- applied to a person as being of a certain nature or quality; often, but not always, used slightingly or in contempt. ``If I had not been a piece of a logician before I came to him.'' --Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster]

Thy mother was a piece of virtue. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

His own spirit is as unsettled a piece as there is in all the world. --Coleridge. [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster]

5. (Chess) One of the superior men, distinguished from a pawn. [1913 Webster]

6. A castle; a fortified building. [Obs.] --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

{Of a piece}, of the same sort, as if taken from the same whole; like; -- sometimes followed by with. --Dryden.

{Piece of eight}, the Spanish piaster, formerly divided into eight reals.

{To give a piece of one's mind to}, to speak plainly, bluntly, or severely to (another). --Thackeray.

{Piece broker}, one who buys shreds and remnants of cloth to sell again.

{Piece goods}, goods usually sold by pieces or fixed portions, as shirtings, calicoes, sheetings, and the like. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • piece goods — ➔ goods * * * piece goods UK US noun [plural] COMMERCE, ► pieces of cloth such as curtains, etc. that are produced and sold in standard sizes: »cotton and silk piece goods …   Financial and business terms

  • piece goods — piece′ goods n. pl. tex goods, esp. fabrics, sold at retail by linear measure Also called yard goods • Etymology: 1655–65 …   From formal English to slang

  • piece goods — pl.n. YARD GOODS …   English World dictionary

  • piece goods — noun merchandise in the form of fabrics sold by the yard • Syn: ↑yard goods • Usage Domain: ↑plural, ↑plural form • Hypernyms: ↑merchandise, ↑ware, ↑product * * * …   Useful english dictionary

  • piece goods — goods, esp. fabrics, sold at retail by linear measure. Also called yard goods. [1655 65] * * * …   Universalium

  • piece goods — noun plural Date: 1665 cloth fabrics sold from the bolt at retail in lengths specified by the customer called also yard goods …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • piece goods — /ˈpis gʊdz/ (say pees goodz) plural noun goods or fabrics woven in lengths suitable for retail sale by the usual linear measure …  

  • piece goods — plural noun fabrics woven in standard lengths for sale …   English new terms dictionary

  • piece-goods — …   Useful english dictionary

  • Piece — Piece, n. [OE. pece, F. pi[ e]ce, LL. pecia, petia, petium, probably of Celtic origin; cf. W. peth a thing, a part, portion, a little, Armor. pez, Gael. & Ir. cuid part, share. Cf. {Petty}.] 1. A fragment or part of anything separated from the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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