piece
noun /piːs/
/piːs/
Idioms - [countable] (used especially with of and uncountable nouns) an amount of something that has been cut or separated from the rest of it; a standard amount of something
- piece of something She wrote something on a small piece of paper.
- a piece of wood/metal
- a large piece of land
- a piece of cake
- a piece of cheese/meat/bread
- I've got a piece of grit in my eye.
- a small/little/tiny piece of something
- into pieces He cut the pizza into bite-sized pieces.
Vocabulary Building PiecesPiecesIf you want to talk about a small amount or one example of something that is normally an uncountable noun, there is a range of words you can use. You must choose the right one to go with the substance you are talking about.- Piece and (British English, informal) bit are very general words and can be used with most uncountable nouns:
- a piece of paper/wood/string/cake/fruit/meat/work/research/advice
- a bit of paper/work/chocolate/luck.
- A slice is a thin flat piece:
- a slice of bread/cake/salami/cheese/pie/apple
- (figurative) a slice of life
- A chunk is a thick, solid piece:
- a chunk of cheese/bread/rock
- a chunk of land (= a fairly large piece)
- A lump is a piece of something solid without any particular shape:
- a lump of coal/rock/mud
- A fragment is a very small piece of something that is broken or damaged
- fragments of glass
- (figurative) fragments of conversation.
- a fragment of the story.
- A speck is a tiny piece of powder:
- a speck of dust/dirt.
- a speck of light
- Drop is used with liquids:
- a drop of water/rain/blood/milk/whisky
- A pinch is as much as you can hold between your finger and thumb:
- a pinch of salt/cinnamon
- A portion is enough for one person:
- a portion of chicken
Extra Examples- She makes her sculptures out of odd pieces of scrap metal.
- She tore the letter into tiny pieces.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- huge
- large
- …
- assemble
- glue (back) together
- put (back) together
- …
- in pieces
- piece of
- bits and pieces
- break into pieces
- smash into pieces
- …
- [countable, usually plural] one of the bits or parts that something breaks into
- piece of something There were tiny pieces of glass all over the road.
- to pieces The boat had been smashed to pieces on the rocks.
- The building was blown to pieces.
- tear/rip something to pieces
- in pieces The vase lay in pieces in the floor.
Extra Examples- The cake just broke into pieces when I cut it.
- The plate smashed into little pieces on the stone floor.
- The vase was now in pieces on the kitchen floor.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- huge
- large
- …
- assemble
- glue (back) together
- put (back) together
- …
- in pieces
- piece of
- bits and pieces
- break into pieces
- smash into pieces
- …
- [countable] one of the parts that something is made of
- to pieces He took the clock to pieces.
- piece of something a missing piece of the puzzle
- The bridge was taken down piece by piece.
- She's been doing a 500-piece jigsaw.
Extra Examples- Can I take this jigsaw to pieces?
- I had to take the car to pieces in order to repair it.
- A few pieces of the puzzle were missing.
- This chair comes to pieces.
- We'll need to take the engine apart, piece by piece.
- He broke the clock down into pieces.
- There had to be some missing piece of the story.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- huge
- large
- …
- assemble
- glue (back) together
- put (back) together
- …
- in pieces
- piece of
- bits and pieces
- break into pieces
- smash into pieces
- …
- [countable] piece (of something) (used especially with uncountable nouns) a single item of a particular type, especially one that forms part of a set
- a piece of equipment/furniture
- a piece of clothing/luggage
- a piece of machinery
- a 28-piece dinner service
- [countable] piece of something used with many uncountable nouns to describe a single example or an amount of something
- a piece of information/evidence/advice/news/legislation
- a piece of software
- This is a superb piece of work.
- It was an interesting piece of research.
- The building is a piece of history (= of historical interest or importance).
- Isn't that a piece of luck?
- You should eat at least two pieces of fruit a day.
- [countable] a single item of writing, art, music, etc. that somebody has produced or created; a short item of writing from a longer work
- piece of something a piece of music/art
- a fine piece of writing
- They performed pieces by Bach and Handel.
- The painting is a companion piece to (= is closely related to and intended to be displayed with) an earlier work.
- (formal) They have some beautiful pieces (= works of art, etc.) in their home.
- piece from something She read a piece from ‘Alice in Wonderland’.
Homophones peace | piecepeace piecesee also conversation piece, masterpiece, museum piece, party piece, period piece, puff piece, showpiece,/piːs//piːs/- peace noun
- Hopes for peace between the two nations are fading.
- piece noun
- Here's an interesting piece of information.
Extra ExamplesTopics Musica1- The orchestra performed pieces by Ravel and Prokofiev.
- Auditioning students are required to play a solo piece of their choice.
- a piece for symphony orchestra, choir and four soloists
- He hasn't produced a single piece of writing this year.
- They are exhibiting two important pieces by Calder.
- This is an effective piece of writing.
- a companion piece to the portrait of Gauguin's empty chair
- The best pieces include three paintings by El Greco.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- amazing
- beautiful
- brilliant
- …
- compose
- produce
- write
- …
- be called something
- be entitled something
- be titled something
- …
- piece by
- piece for
- piece from
- …
- a piece of music
- a piece of sculpture
- a piece of work
- …
- [countable] an article in a newspaper or magazine or a broadcast on television or radio
- The Washington Post ran a series of opinion pieces criticizing the policy.
- piece about/on something Did you see her piece about the internet in the paper today?
Extra ExamplesTopics TV, radio and newsb2- a short piece by Will Simons on television satire
- an occasional piece on the lives of ordinary people
- an original piece written specifically for the producer
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- amazing
- beautiful
- brilliant
- …
- compose
- produce
- write
- …
- be called something
- be entitled something
- be titled something
- …
- piece by
- piece for
- piece from
- …
- a piece of music
- a piece of sculpture
- a piece of work
- …
- [countable] a coin of the value mentioned
- a 50p piece
- a five-cent piece
- [countable] one of the small figures or objects that you move around in games such as chessTopics Games and toysb2
- [singular] piece of something (especially North American English) a part or share of something
- companies seeking a piece of the market
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- huge
- large
- …
- assemble
- glue (back) together
- put (back) together
- …
- in pieces
- piece of
- bits and pieces
- break into pieces
- smash into pieces
- …
- [countable] (North American English, slang) a gun
- a piece[singular] (North American English, old-fashioned, informal) a short distance
- She lives down the road a piece from here.
separate amount
part
single item
news article
coin
in chess, etc.
share of something
gun
distance
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French piece (compare with medieval Latin pecia, petium), of obscure ultimate origin.
Idioms
bits and pieces/bobs
- (British English, informal) small objects or items of various kinds
- She stuffed all her bits and pieces into a bag and left.
- I just need to get a few bits and pieces at the supermarket.
blow somebody/something to bits/pieces
- to use bombs or other weapons to destroy somebody/something completely
- The plane was blown to pieces when the bomb exploded.
fall to pieces
- (usually used in the progressive tenses) (of things) to become very old and in bad condition because of long use synonym fall apart
- Our car is falling to pieces, we've had it so long.
- My old dictionary is falling to pieces.
- (of a person, an organization, a plan, etc.) to stop working; to be destroyed
- He's worried the business will fall to pieces without him.
give somebody a piece of your mind
- (informal) to tell somebody that you think their behaviour is bad or are angry with them
go to pieces
- (informal) (of a person) to be so upset or afraid that you cannot manage to live or work normally
- After his wife died he just went to pieces.
how long is a piece of string?
- (British English, informal) used to say that there is no definite answer to a question
- ‘How long will it take?’ ‘How long's a piece of string?’
(all) in one piece
- (informal) safe; not damaged or hurt, especially after a journey or dangerous experience
- They were lucky to get home in one piece.
a nasty piece of work
- (British English, informal) a person who is unpleasant, unkind or dishonest
- Don’t trust him; he’s a nasty piece of work.
- He's a thoroughly nasty piece of work.
(all) of a piece (formal)
- all the same or similar
- The houses are all of a piece.
- all at the same time
- The house was built all of a piece in 1754.
pick/pull/tear somebody/something to pieces/shreds
- (informal) to criticize somebody, or their work or ideas, very severely
pick up the pieces
- to return or to help somebody return to a normal situation, particularly after a shock or a disaster
- You cannot live your children's lives for them; you can only be there to pick up the pieces when things go wrong.
a piece of cake
- (informal) a thing that is very easy to do
a piece/slice/share of the pie
(British English also a slice/share of the cake)
- a share of the available money or benefits that you believe you have a right to
- The company is demanding a larger slice of the corporate pie.
a piece of piss
- (British English, taboo, slang) a thing that is very easy to do
a/some piece of work
- (North American English, informal) used to express the fact that you admire somebody or find them funny, often when they have done something that surprises you
- You're some piece of work, Jack, do you know that?
a piece/slice of the action
- (informal) a share or role in an interesting or exciting activity, especially one that makes money
- Foreign firms will all want a piece of the action if the new airport goes ahead.
say your piece
- to say exactly what you feel or think
the villain of the piece
- (especially humorous) the person or thing that is responsible for all the trouble in a situation
- It’s hard to identify the real villain of the piece in this case.