pieces | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

154 entries found.

"pieces of meat roasted on a skewer," 1783 (compare shish kebab).

"conglomerate rock of angular pieces," 1774, from Italian breccia, "marble of angular pieces," from a Germanic source akin to Old High German brecha "a breaking," from Proto-Germanic *brekan, from PIE root *bhreg- "to break." The same Germanic root is the source of Spanish brecha, French brèche "a breach."

detail (v.)

1630s, "relate or narrate in particulars," from French dtailler "cut up in pieces; narrate in particulars," from Old French detaillier "cut in pieces" (12c.), from de- "entirely" (see de-) + taillier "to cut in pieces" (see tailor (n.)). Meaning "divide or set off" (especially for military duty) is from 1793. Related: Detailed; detailing.

deconstruct (v.)

"undo the construction of, take to pieces," 1973, a back-formation from deconstruction (q.v.). Related: Deconstructed; deconstructing.

clastic (adj.)

"consisting of broken pieces, breaking up into fragments," 1868 in reference to anatomical models, 1870 in geology, from Latinized form of Greek klastos "broken in pieces," from klan, klaein "to break," which is perhaps from PIE *kla-, variant of root *kel- "to strike" (see holt), but more likely of uncertain origin [Beekes].

smashing (adj.)

1833, "violently crushing to pieces," present-participle adjective from smash (v.). Meaning "pleasing, sensational" is from 1911. Related: Smashingly.

chessmen (n.)

also chess-men, "the pieces used in the game of chess," late 15c., from chess + men. Related: chessman.

dominoes (n.)

"game regularly played with 28 flat, oblong pieces, black on one side, spotted black and white on the other," c. 1800; see domino.

lacerate (v.)

"to tear roughly," early 15c., from Latin laceratus, past participle of lacerare "tear to pieces, mangle," figuratively, "to slander, censure, abuse," from lacer "torn, mangled," from PIE root *lek- "to rend, tear" (source also of Greek lakis "tatter, rag," lakizein "to tear to pieces;" Latin lacinia "flap of a garment," lancinare "to pierce, stab;" Russian lochma "rag, tatter, scrap;" Albanian l'akur "naked"). Figurative sense in English is from 1640s. Related: Lacerated; lacerating.

contusive (adj.)

"apt to cause a contusion, bruising," 1798, from Latin contus-, past participle stem of contundere "to beat, bruise, grind, crush, break to pieces" (see contusion) + -ive.

Trending words