Pièce
/pjɛs/noun
A French word meaning a piece, item, room, coin, or theatrical work, depending on context.
Did you know?Pièce entered English mainly through the phrase “pièce de résistance,” literally “piece of resistance,” meaning the most impressive or substantial part of a meal or performance.
Etymological Timeline
Late Antiquity
Gaulish/Latin
*pettia / petia
“A piece, portion, or fragment; the deeper Gaulish origin is probable but not certain.”
9th–10th Century
Old French
piece
“A piece, portion, object, or patch.”
12th Century
Anglo-Norman French
pece
“A piece or portion, entering the vocabulary used in England.”
14th Century
Middle English
pece
“A piece, part, coin, or item.”
16th Century
French
pièce
“A piece, room, coin, document, or dramatic work.”
19th Century
English/French
pièce de résistance
“The outstanding or strongest part; literally, the “piece of resistance.””
Modern French
French
pièce
“A piece, room, coin, document, theatrical work, or musical composition, according to context.”