[presh-uh
s] 
| 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. |
| 6. | a dearly beloved person; darling. |
| 7. | extremely; very: She wastes precious little time. |
| pre·cious (prěsh'əs) adj.
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. |