Nearby Words

Piquant

[pee-kuhnt, -kahnt, pee-kahnt] Example Sentences Origin

pi·quant

[pee-kuhnt, -kahnt, pee-kahnt]
adjective
1.
agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart: a piquant aspic.
2.
agreeably stimulating, interesting, or attractive: a piquant glance.
3.
of an interestingly provocative or lively character: a piquant wit.
4.
Archaic. sharp or stinging, especially to the feelings.

Origin:
1515–25; < French: literally, pricking (see pique1, -ant); replacing pickante < Italian piccante

pi·quan·cy, pi·quant·ness, noun
pi·quant·ly, adverb


1. spicy. 2. intriguing. 3. sharp, clever.


1. insipid.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Piquant is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
Example Sentences
  • Unusual settings give a piquant, humorous tilt to her characters' misery.
  • Green sauces are invariably piquant and herbacious.
  • It's much more piquant to read that two powerful and rich ladies are feuding than a couple of small-town, small-time ones.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
piquant (ˈpiːkənt, -kɑːnt)
 
adj
1.  having an agreeably pungent or tart taste
2.  lively or stimulating to the mind
 
[C16: from French (literally: prickling), from piquer to prick, goad; see pique1]
 
'piquancy
 
n
 
'piquantness
 
n
 
'piquantly
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

piquant
1521, from M.Fr. piquant "pricking, stimulating, irritating," from O.Fr. prp. of piquer "to prick, sting, nettle" (see pike (2)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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