also multimillionaire, "one worth many millions" (of dollars, pounds, etc.), 1858, from multi- "many times" + millionaire.

mid-13c., "valuable, of great worth or price, costly," from Old French precios "precious, costly, honorable, of great worth" (11c., Modern French précieux), from Latin pretiosus "costly, valuable," from pretium "value, worth, price" (see price (n.)).

The meaning "over-refined, fastidious" in English is by late 14c. From 16c. through 18c. it also had a secondary ironic (inverted) sense of "worthless." Precious metals (1776) "gold and silver (and sometimes platinum)" are those that are rare and costly enough to be used as a standard of value and abundant enough to be used for coinage. Related: Preciously; preciousness.

1777, "soldier of the regular army of the rebelling British American colonies," from continental (adj.) in its specific sense. In the general sense "native or inhabitant of a continent" from 1828.

Also used of the paper money issued by the rebelling colonies, which, through its devaluation, led to the expression not worth a continental (which seems to be no earlier than 1851), sometimes not worth a continental dime.

"value, great worth, preciousness, quality of being precious," c. 1400 preciosite, from Old French preciosite and directly from Latin pretiocitas "costliness," in Medieval Latin also "a costly thing," from pretiosus (see precious (adj.)).

1580s, "to estimate the value of; value highly," spelling alteration of Middle English prisen "to reckon the worth of, value, esteem, praise" (late 14c.), from stem of Old French preisier "to praise" (see praise (v.)). Related: Prized; prizing.