*piece*

n. The painting or piece of sculpture above and behind the altar; reredos. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + piece. ] Each by itself; by the single one; to each; as the share of each; as, these melons cost a shilling apiece. “Fined . . . a thousand pounds apiece.” Hume. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In pieces or to pieces. [ Obs. ] “Being torn apieces.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Back, n. or a. + piece, plate. ] 1. A piece, or plate which forms the back of anything, or which covers the back. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically: A piece of plate armor protecting the back; -- it is worn as part of a cuirass. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Law) A piece of parchment, or paper, containing a recognizance or bail bond. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. (Mach.) The foundation framing or piece, by which the other parts are supported and held in place; the bed; -- called also baseplate and soleplate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An old English gold coin, broader than a guinea, as a Carolus or Jacobus. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. 1. An ornament to be placed in the center, as of a table, ceiling, atc.; a central article or figure. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically: An arrangement of flowers placed in the center of a table as an ornament while dining. [ PJC ]

3. The central or most important feature of an activity, plan, or object; as, the centerpiece of her campaign was a proposal to slash taxes. [ PJC ]

n. same as centerpiece.
Syn. -- centerpiece. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Arch.) A decorative construction around the opening of a fireplace; also, the shelf that projects from wall above fireplace; mantlepiece. [ Chiefly Brit. ]
Syn. -- mantel, mantelpiece, mantle, mantlepiece. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cod, n., &unr_; + piece. ] A part of male dress in front of the breeches, formerly made very conspicuous. Shak. Fosbroke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A piece of any structure which is fitted or framed crosswise. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) A bar or timber connecting two knightheads or two bitts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (a) A piece or part which passes over the head, as in a bridle. (b) A coin [ In sense (b) properly crown piece. ] See Crown, 19. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Shipbuilding) An upright or curved piece of timber connecting the plank sheer with the gunwale; also, a scroll terminating a rail. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a device for converting electric signals into sounds, designed to be held over or inserted into the ear; as, The common telephone handset has a speaker and an earpiece.
Syn. -- earphone, headphone, phone. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Opt.) The lens, or combination of lenses, at the eye end of a microscope, telescope or other optical instrument, through which the image formed by the mirror or object glass is viewed.
Syn. -- ocular. [ 1913 Webster ]

Collimating eyepiece. See under Collimate. --
Negative, or
Huyghenian,
eyepiece, an eyepiece consisting of two plano-convex lenses with their curved surfaces turned toward the object glass, and separated from each other by about half the sum of their focal distances, the image viewed by the eye being formed between the two lenses. it was devised by Huyghens, who applied it to the telescope. Campani applied it to the microscope, whence it is sometimes called Campani's eyepiece. --
Positive eyepiece, an eyepiece consisting of two plano-convex lenses placed with their curved surfaces toward each other, and separated by a distance somewhat less than the focal distance of the one nearest eye, the image of the object viewed being beyond both lenses; -- called also, from the name of the inventor, Ramsden's eyepiece. --
terrestrial, or
Erecting eyepiece, an eyepiece used in telescopes for viewing terrestrial objects, consisting of three, or usually four, lenses, so arranged as to present the image of the object viewed in an erect position. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A cannon mounted on wheels, for the use of a marching army; a piece of field artillery; -- called also field gun. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. frontispice, LL. frontispicium beginning, front of a church, fr. L. frons front + spicere, specere, to look at, view: cf. It. frontispizio. See Front and Spy. ] The part which first meets the eye; as: (a) (Arch.) The principal front of a building. [ Obs. or R. ] (b) An ornamental figure or illustration fronting the first page, or titlepage, of a book; formerly, the titlepage itself. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a covering or bunch of human or artificial hair used for disguise or adornment; a toupee.
Syn. -- false hair, postiche, toupee. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. Head. [ 1913 Webster ]

In his headpiece he felt a sore pain. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A cap of defense; especially, an open one, as distinguished from the closed helmet of the Middle Ages. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Understanding; mental faculty. [ 1913 Webster ]

Eumenes had the best headpiece of all Alexander's captains. Prideaux. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An engraved ornament at the head of a chapter, or of a page. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A piece of armor to protect the heels. Chesterfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A piece of leather fixed on the heel of a shoe. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The end. “The heelpiece of his book.” Lloyd. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A piece shaped like a knee; as, the kneepieces or ears of a boat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Mantel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A shelf that projects from the wall above a fireplace; a mantel; as, in England they call a mantelpiece a chimneypiece.
Syn. -- mantel, mantelpiece, mantle, chimneypiece. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Anything done or made with extraordinary skill; a capital performance; a chef-d'oeuvre; a supreme achievement. [ 1913 Webster ]

The top and masterpiece of art. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dissimulation was his masterpiece. Claredon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The part of a musical or other instrument to which the mouth is applied in using it; as, the mouthpiece of a bugle, or of a tobacco pipe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An appendage to an inlet or outlet opening of a pipe or vessel, to direct or facilitate the inflow or outflow of a fluid. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One who delivers the opinion of others or of another; a spokesman; as, the mouthpiece of his party. [ 1913 Webster ]

Egmont was imprudent enough to make himself the mouthpiece of their remonstrance. Motley. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Hence: A person's lawyer. [ slang ] This is a term that was used sometimes in old movies. When a tough bad guy was arrested he might say “I ain't sayin' nothin' without my mouthpiece!” [ PJC ]

n. [ OE. pece, F. pièce, 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 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Pieced p. pr. & vb. n. Piecing ] 1. To make, enlarge, or repair, by the addition of a piece or pieces; to patch; as, to piece a garment; -- often with out. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To unite; to join; to combine. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

His adversaries . . . pieced themselves together in a joint opposition against him. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To unite by a coalescence of parts; to fit together; to join. “It pieced better.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not made of pieces; whole; entire. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In pieces; piecemeal. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ OE. pecemele; pece a piece + AS. m&unr_;lum, dat. pl. of m&unr_;l part. See Meal a portion. ] 1. In pieces; in parts or fragments. “On which it piecemeal brake.” Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

The beasts will tear thee piecemeal. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Piece by piece; by little and little in succession. [ 1913 Webster ]

Piecemeal they win, this acre first, than that. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Made up of parts or pieces; single; separate. “These piecemeal guilts.” Gov. of Tongue. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A fragment; a scrap. R. Vaughan. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Divided into pieces. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who supplies rolls of wool to the slubbing machine in woolen mills. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Same as Piecer, 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who pieces; a patcher. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A child employed in spinning mill to tie together broken threads. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Work done by the piece or job; work paid for at a rate based on the amount of work done, rather than on the time employed. [ 1913 Webster ]

The reaping was piecework, at so much per acre. R. Jefferies. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. See Ridgepole. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A picture representing a scene at sea; a marine picture. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Joinery) The jamb, or cheek, of an opening in a wall, as of door or window. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Arch.) The collar of a roof; sparpiece. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Arch.) The collar beam of a roof; the spanpiece. Gwilt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Arch.) (a) A long piece of timber, forming a margin or edge of any piece of construction; esp.: (b) One of the longitudinal pieces, supporting the treads and rises of a flight or run of stairs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A piece at the end; an appendage. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Arch.) One of the timbers which tail into a header, in floor framing. See Illust. of Header. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Print.) An ornament placed at the bottom of a short page to fill up the space, or at the end of a book. Savage. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A piece of ebony or other material attached to the lower end of a violin or similar instrument, to which the strings are fastened. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Locks) A piece for transmitting motion from the hub of a lock to the latch bolt. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

6. The part of a telescope containing the adjusting device for the eyepiece, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A clock, watch, or other instrument, to measure or show the progress of time; a chronometer. [ 1913 Webster ]