picayunish
iˈyun, ˌpɪk adjective Also, pic·a·yun·ish, Informal.
1.
of little value or account; small; trifling: a picayune amount.
2.
petty, carping, or prejudiced: I didn't want to seem picayune by criticizing.
noun
3.
(formerly, in Louisiana, Florida, etc.) a coin equal to half a Spanish real.
4.
any small coin, as a five-cent piece.
5.
Informal. an insignificant person or thing.
00:10
Picayunish
is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
Origin:
1780–90; < Provençal picaioun small copper coin (compare French picaillons), derivative of an onomatopoetic base *pikk- beat, here referring to the coining of coppers
1780–90; < Provençal picaioun small copper coin (compare French picaillons), derivative of an onomatopoetic base *pikk- beat, here referring to the coining of coppers
Related forms
pic·a·yun·ish·ly, adverb
pic·a·yun·ish·ness, noun
Synonyms
1. trivial, insignificant. 2. narrow-minded.
1. trivial, insignificant. 2. narrow-minded.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To picayunish
Collins
World English Dictionary
picayune (ˌpɪkəˈjuːn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | of small value or importance |
| 2. | mean; petty |
| —n | |
| 3. | the half real, an old Spanish-American coin |
| 4. | (US) any coin of little value, esp a five-cent piece |
| [C19: from French picaillon coin from Piedmont, from Provençal picaioun, of unknown origin] | |
| pica'yunishly | |
| —adv | |
| pica'yunishness | |
| —n | |
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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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
picayune
1804, "coin of small value," probably from Louisiana Fr. picaillon "coin worth 5 cents," earlier the Fr. name of an old copper coin of Savoy (1750), from Prov. picaioun "small copper coin," from picaio "money," of uncertain origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Nearby Words
Synonyms
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