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Definition of Precious - 5 dictionary results

pre⋅cious

  [presh-uhs]
Use Precious in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of high price or great value; very valuable or costly: precious metals.
2. highly esteemed for some spiritual, nonmaterial, or moral quality: precious memories.
3. dear; beloved: a precious child.
4. affectedly or excessively delicate, refined, or nice: precious manners.
5. flagrant; gross: a precious fool.
–noun
6. a dearly beloved person; darling.
–adverb
7. extremely; very: She wastes precious little time.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME preciose (< OF precios) < L pretiōsus costly, valuable, equiv. to preti(um) price, value + -ōsus -ous

Related forms:
pre⋅cious⋅ly, adverb
pre⋅cious⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. See valuable. 3. darling, cherished.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Precious
pre·cious   (prěsh'əs)   
adj.  
  1. Of high cost or worth; valuable.
  2. Highly esteemed; cherished.
  3. Dear; beloved.
  4. Affectedly dainty or overrefined: precious mannerisms.
  5. Informal Thoroughgoing; unmitigated: a precious mess.
n.  One who is dear or beloved; a darling.
adv.  Used as an intensive: "He had precious little right to complain" (James Agee).

[Middle English, from Old French precios, from Latin pretiōsus, from pretium, price; see per-5 in Indo-European roots.]
pre'cious·ly adv., pre'cious·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Precious

Pre"cious\, a. Particular; fastidious; overnice; overrefined. Cf. Pr['e]cieuse, Preciosity.

Lest that precious folk be with me wroth. --Chaucer.

Elaborate embroidery of precious language. --Saintsbury.

Precious

Pre"cious\, a. [OF. precious, precius, precios, F. pr['e]cieux, L. pretiosus, fr. pretium price, worth, value. See Price.]

1. Of great price; costly; as, a precious stone. "The precious bane." --Milton.

2. Of great value or worth; very valuable; highly esteemed; dear; beloved; as, precious recollections.

She is more precious than rules. --Prov. iii. 15.

Many things which are most precious are neglected only because the value of them lieth hid. --Hooker.

Note: Also used ironically; as, a precious rascal.

3. Particular; fastidious; overnice. [Obs.]

Lest that precious folk be with me wroth. --Chaucer.

Precious metals, the uncommon and highly valuable metals, esp. gold and silver.

Precious stones, gems; jewels.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Precious
Spanish: precioso,
German: kostbar,
Japanese: 高価な
More Translations »

precious 
c.1290, from O.Fr. precios (11c., Fr. précieux), from L. pretiosus "costly, valuable," from pretium "value, worth, price" (see price). Meaning "over-refined" first recorded c.1395. Precieuse "a woman aiming at refined delicacy of language and taste" (1727) is from Fr. précieuse, noun use of fem. of précieux, especially as lampooned in Molière's comedy "Les Précieuses ridicules" (1659).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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