piecemeal 
bit by bit; little by little; gradually: often pleo- 
na.stirally lii/ /'iii'i mini. 
\',<-inx but yet weak in liody, I am forced to write by 
jiirc? instil, anil break ult nlmust every li-.ur. 
Millim, Ana. to Salmasills, Pref., p. .1. 
U Inn wt- may eimuenieiitly vtter a matter in "in- rntirr 
KIK'ai h ir pioiMwitiim, anil u ill ralluT iln it i; i,n'iile&\\A 
by distribution of nucy put for amplification Mtfcfl . . 
I'lilleiiham, Arteof Kng. 1'ocsle, IP. 1-n. 
Wliich little plots 1 thought they could not otherwise 
BOW but by pnltiuK in the conic by peece-meale into the 
earth with their (Inner*. Coryat, Crudities, I, 83. 
I'iecemeal they win this aero first, then that; 
Glean on, and gather up the whole estutr. 
/'i>;w, Sutirfsof Donne, II. 91. 
All was in ruin. . . . The vaults beneath yawned; the 
roof above was falling piecemeal. 
Longfflliiir, Hyperion, il. 9. 
2f. In pieces; In or into bit* or fragment*. 
Which (lifting high) ho strook his helm full where his 
plume iliil stand, 
On which it piece -meale brake, and fell from his unhappy 
haude. Chapman, Iliad, lit. 
Down goes the top at once ; the (freeks beneath 
Are piece-meal torn, or pounded into death. 
Dryden, .-Eneid, ii. 
piecemeal (pes'mel), . [< /</' mii, mir.] 
Fragmentary; disconnected. 
It appears that this edition [of Shakspere] wag printed 
(at least partly) from no better copies than the prompter's 
nook, or piece-meal parts written out for the use of the 
actors. Pope, Pref. to Shakespeare. 
pieceniealedt (pes'meld), a. [< pirct-mml + 
-/'-'.] Divided into small pieces. Cotyrare. 
piece-mold (pes'mold), n. In bron:e-ciiKtin<i, n 
mold made up of separate pieces which are fit- 
ted together one after another upon the model, 
and beaten with a wooden mallet to make the 
whole close and solid : between the pieces some 
powder, such as brick-dust, is introduced to pre- 
vent adhesion. 
piece montee (pias m6n-ta')- [F., a mounted 
piece: piece, piece; montee, pp. of monter, 
mount: see mount.} 1. A fancy dish, such as 
a salad, prepared for the adornment of the ta- 
ble. 2. By extension, a decorative piece for 
the table, made of paste, sugar, or the like, not 
necessarily eatable or intended to be eaten; 
sometimes, a cake or jelly crowned by such a 
structure ; a set piece. 
piecen (pe'sn), v. t. [< piece + -en 1 .] To ex- 
tend by adding a part or parts. [Colloq.] 
The building [an art-gallery], not designed from the first 
In its entirety, has been piecened and enlarged from time 
to time. Nineteenth Century, XXII. 820. 
piecener (pes'ner), n. [< piecen + -er a .] A 
piecer. See the quotation. 
The children whose duty It Is to walk backward and 
forward before the reels on which the cotton, silk, or 
worsted i- wound, for the purpose of Joining the threads 
when they break, are called piecers or piecenen. 
Mrs. TroUnpe, Michael Armstrong, vlil. (Danes.) 
piecening (pes'ning), n. [Verbal n. of piecen, 
t>.] In textile manuf., same as piecing. 
piece-patchedt (pes'pacht), o. Patched up. 
There Is no manly wisdom, nor no safety, 
In leaning to this league, this piece-patent friendship. 
Fletcher (and others), Bloody Brother, 11. 1. 
piecer (pe'ser), n. [< piece + -erl.] One who 
or that which pieces or patches ; a boy or girl 
employed in a spinning-factory to join broken 
threads. 
piece-work (pes'werk), n. Work done and paid 
for by measure of quantity, or by previous es- 
timate and agreement, in contradistinction to 
work done and paid for by measure of time, 
piece-worker (pes'wer'ker), . One who does 
piece-work ; one who works by the piece or job. 
piecing (po'sing), . [Verbal n. of piece, v."\ 1. 
The act of mending by the addition or joining 
of a piece. Specifically 2. In textile mnimf. 
the joining of the ends of laps, slivers, yarns, or 
tli roads to make continuous lengths or to repair 
breaks. Also piri-i-ninii. 
pied (pid), a. [Formerly also pyrtl, pi<l<\ /"/</<; 
< pie + -f d~. Cl.F.jne, piebald.] Party-col- 
ored ; variegated with spots of different colors ; 
spotted. The word is now used chiefly to note animals 
which are marked with large spots of different colors. 
Speckled is used when the spots are small. This distinc- 
tion was not formerly observed, and In some cases pied Is 
In good use to express diversity of colors in small pattern. 
This pied cameleon, this beast multitude. 
Lust's Dominion , iii. 4. 
Daisies pied anil violets blue. Shale., L. L. L.. v. 2. 904. 
I met a fool i' the woods (they said she dwelt here), 
In a long pied coat Fletcher, Pilgrim, iv. 3. 
Guests 
Intrusive to thy table and to thy feasts ; 
Who daub thee with pyde flatteries. 
Heytmod, Dialogues, iv. 
I 179 
there were milk-white peacocks, white and pyed pheas- 
ants, bantams, and furbelow fowls from the East I 
and top-knot hens from Hamburg. 
./. .t*htii,i. Social Life In Keign of < jm-i-n Anne, I. 99. 
Pied brant. Same as harlequin brant (which see, under 
harlequin} pied dishwasher, the pled wagtail. Pied 
duck, the Labrador duck, Catnptol&mut labradoriujt, the 
pier 
,1 Mom' -tan-. It is intcndcil tu ivst upuii the 
II|I]KT ailtfll- of III"' Ill'Xt loHlT .-II |i. [Sriitl'll.J 
piend-rafter (pt-nd'n'if tiT), . Sumea8.//<- 
raftcr. [Scot.-h.] 
piept. !' I. An olisolc-to spelling of yv/i'. 
pie-plant (l>i'plunt), . (ianli-n-rliuliai-l>, Itliciuii 
ilii-uiH : HO named from its use for jiii -. 
Pied or Labrador Duck : Camftalmmia 
male of which Is pled with black and white. It has be- 
come extremely rare of late years, and is supposed to be 
approaching extinction. It formerly ranged extensively 
along the Atlantic coast of the I'nited states. Pied finch. 
See ?ncA'. Pled grail ina, the magpie-lark of Australia, 
Grallina picata. fieA hornbill, Anthracutera malata- 
rica, a bird of the family Bvcerotidx. Pied kingfisher. 
See Irinyjlsher. Pied seal, the monk-seal, Monac/tnx albi- 
twntor. Pled wagtail, iluiacilla luyubris. fle& wid- 
geon. Same as garyaney. Pied wolf, a pled variety of 
Canis occidental^, the common American wolf. 
pied-billed (pn I' i>i 1' 1 ),. Having a pied bill: as, 
the pied-billed dabchick, Podilymbus podiceps. 
pied-fort (pya-fdr'), n. [F. (a technical term 
of the French mint), lit. 'strong foot': pied, < 
L. pes (ped-), foot ; fort, < L. fortis, strong.] In 
iiiimi.-i.. a pattern for a proposed coin, struck on 
a flan or blank of greater thickness than the 
ordinary coins. The term Is especially applied to 
French pattern pieces, such as those struck during the 
seventeenth century. 
Piedmontese (ped-mon-teV or -tez'), a. and n. 
t= F. Piemontais ; as Piedmont (It. Piemonte), < 
j. Pcdimontimn, Piedmont.] I. a. 1. Of or per- 
taining to Piedmont, a region in northwestern 
Italy, oordering on Switzerland and France. 
In the modern kingdom of Italy, Piedmont is a 
compartimento, containing the provinces of T u- 
rin, Alessandria, Novara, and Cuneo. 2. By 
extension, pertaining to any region situated at 
or near the foot of mountains: as, the Pied- 
montese districts of Virginia, North Carolina, 
etc. 
H. n. A native or an inhabitant of Piedmont. 
piedmontite (ped'mon-tit), n. [< Piedmont + 
-ite 2 .] A mineral closely related in form and 
composition to epidote, but containing manga- 
nese, hence sometimes called manga nepidote. 
It is of a reddish-brown color, and is found at 
St. Marcel in Piedmont. 
piedness (pid'nes), n. The state of being pied ; 
diversity of colors in spots. Shale., W. T., iv. 
4. 87. 
piedouche (pya-d8sh'), [< F. piedouche, < It. 
peduccio, a corbel ; dim. of piede, pie, foot, < L. 
pes (ped-) = E. foot: see foot.'} In arch., a 
bracket, pedestal, or socle, serving to support 
a bust, candelabrum, or other ornament. 
piedpoudret, " See piepowder. 
piedroit (pya-drwo'), . [< F. pied-droit, < L. 
peg directus, ' straight foot' : see pedal and di- 
rect."} In arch., an engaged pier, or a square 
Sillar, projecting from the face of a wall. It 
iffers from a pilaster in that it has neither 
base nor capital. 
pied- winged (pid'wingd), a. Having pied 
wings: specific in the name pied-winged coot, 
the velvet scoter. [New Eng.] 
pie-finch (pi'finch), n. The chaffinch. 
piel (pel). . [Perhaps a var. spelling and use 
of peel 3 .} A wedge for piercing stones. Sim- 
mondt. 
pieledt, . An obsolete spelling of peeled. 
pie-mag (pi'inag), w. Same as magpie. 
pieman (pi'man), .; pi. piemen (-men). Aman 
who sells pies; also, a man who makes pies. 
There are fifty street piemen plying their trade in Lon- 
don ; the year through, their average takings are one guinea 
a week. Mayhem, London Labour and London Poor, I. 224. 
pie-nanny (pi'nan'i), . The magpie. Also 
nanpii'. 
piend(peud), . 1. Sameasjce. 2. Inure*., 
.in arris; a salient angle, 
piend-check (pend'chek), n. A rebate on the 
bottom pieud or angle of the riser of a step in 
His jyi>-/V/i/(the lx.-st Iii town), compulsory monastics, 
blanched under barrels, each In his little hermitage, a 
vegetable (,'ertosa. Luuell, Cambridge Thirty Yean Ago. 
Wild pie-plant, in (tali and California, liimirx hi/meno- 
nepalwt, with acid stem and leaves, used as a pie-plant. See 
- 
. 
piepowder, viepoudre (pl'pou-dte), . [Al 
iniil/ioiiilii -(All!. i-iirin in ilia /inlfi i' i : a ti, 'court 
Jso 
'court of 
dusty foot'); ^OF.pirpoudri'ujf^lL.iirdrpulrirn- 
v.v), a stranger, peddler, or hawker who attends 
fairs, F.picdpoiulrcujc, lit. 'dusty foot' (cf.equiv. 
OF. pied grin 'gray foot'): pii-il, < L. pen (ped-) 
= E.finil ; piiiiilrrn.i'. <. piiiiilri', powder: seejjoif- 
rfer.] An ancient court of record iu England, 
once incident to every fair and market, of which 
the steward of the owner or holder of the toll 
was the judge. It was Instituted to administer justice 
for all commercial Injuries done iu that fair or market, but 
not In any preceding one. Imp. Diet. 
Ffor chyders of Chester were chose many dales 
To ben of concelll ffor eausis that in the court hangid, 
And pledid pipoudris alle manere pleyntls. 
Kichard the Kedeless, ill. 319. 
Is this well, goody Joan, to Interrupt my market in the 
midst, and call away my customers? can you answer this 
at tliv pie-poudres ? B. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, IIL 1. 
The lowest, and at the same time the most expeditions, 
court of justice known to the law of England is the court 
of pieptntdre, curia pedis pulrerizati, so called from the 
dusty feet of the suitors ; or, according to Sir Edward 
Coke, because Justice Is there done as speedily as the dust 
can fall from the foot Blactstone, Com., III. IT. 
piepowdered (pi'pou-derd), a. [< piepotcder 
(in lit. sense) + -<y/2.] Having dusty feet. 
[Rare.] 
One day two peasants arrived In the Eschenhelmer Gasse 
pie-powdered, having walked many hundred miles from 
the Polish backwoods. Westminster Rev., LXXIV. 84. 
pier (per), w. [< ME. pere, < OF. pere, piere, 
pierre, stone, a pier, F. pierre, a stone, = Pr. 
petra, peira, peya = 8p. piedra = Pg. pedra = 
It. pietra, a stone, rock, < L. petra, a mass of 
rock, crag (ML. also a castle on a rock, a tomb 
of stone, slate), < Or. xtrpa, Epic and Ionic 
jrtrptf, a rock, mass of rock, crag, ridge, ledge, 
jrryx>f, a piece of rock, a stone (in prose usually 
/<<tof), later also, like irerpa, a mass of rock. 
From the Or. irirpa, virppf, besides petrary, 
pcrrier, etc., are also ult. E. peter 1 , petrel 1 , and 
in comp. petrific, petrify, petroleum, etc., salt- 
peter, samphire, etc.] 1. (a) A mole or jetty 
carried out into the sea, to serve as an embank- 
ment to protect vessels from the open sea, to 
form a harbor, etc. (6) A projecting quay, 
wharf, or other landing-place. 
But before he could make his approache, it was of necia- 
sltie for him to make a pere or a mole, whereby they might 
passe from the mayne land to the citle. 
./. Brende, tr. of Qnintus Curtius, fol. 54. 
(c) One of the supports of the spans of a bridge, 
or any structure of similar character. 2. In 
arch, or building: (a) The solid support from 
which an arch springs. See first cut underarc h 1 . 
For an interior, an arch resting on a circular column is 
obviously far more appropriate than one resting on & pier. 
J. Fergvsson, Hist Arch., I. 305. 
(b) In medieval architecture, a large pillar or 
shaft; specifically, a com- 
pound or a square pillar. 
At Siena there is not merely a 
slight difference In the size of cor* 
responding piers, but In many of 
them the centres, as well as the 
circumscribing lines of the bases 
and capitals, are out of line one 
witb another. 
C. E. Xortnn, Church-building in 
[Middle Ages, p. 120. 
(c) One of the solid parts 
between openings in a wall, 
such as doors and windows. 
On the facade of the Duomo of 
Orvleto, upon one of the pier* at 
the side of its doors of entrance, 
were sculptured represents! ions of 
the Last Judgment and of Hell. 
C. E. Xorton, Travel and Study in 
[Italy, p. 127. 
(d) The Wall Or pOSt, Of Pier <<> In Cloister. a> 
square or other form, to F^'f 1 Sth r centSi| na ' 
which a gate or door is hung. 
(e) In a physical laboratory or observatory, a 
structure, generally of masonry, designed by 
its stability to prevent vibration iu instruments 
which are supported by it Abutment-pier, the 
pier of a bridge next the shore. Floating pier, a decked 
