Definition: piece

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Source: WordNet (r) 1.7 

piece
     n 1: a separate part of a whole: "an important piece of the
          evidence"
     2: an item that is an instance of some type; "he designed a new
        piece of equipment" or "she bought a lovely piece of
        china"
     3: a portion of a natural object; "they analyzed the river into
        three parts"; "he needed a piece of granite" [syn: part]
     4: a musical work that has been created; "the composition is
        written in four movements" [syn: musical composition, opus,
         composition, piece of music]
     5: an instance of some kind; "it was a nice piece of work"; "he
        had a bit of good luck" [syn: bit]
     6: an artistic or literary composition; "he wrote an
        interesting piece on Iran"; "the children acted out a
        comic piece to amuse the guests"
     7: a portable gun; "he wore his firearm in a shoulder holster"
        [syn: firearm, small-arm]
     8: a serving that has been cut from a larger portion; "a piece
        of pie"; "a slice of bread" [syn: slice]
     9: a distance; "it is down the road a piece"
     10: an object created by a sculptor; "it was not known who
         created the piece"
     11: a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by
         some action or condition; "he was here for a little
         while"; "I need to rest for a piece"; "a spell of good
         weather" [syn: while, spell]
     12: a share of something; "a slice of the company's revenue"
         [syn: slice]
     13: game equipment consisting of an object used in playing
         certain board games; "he taught me to set up the men on
         the chess board"; "he sacrificed a piece to get a
         strategic advantage" [syn: man]
     v 1: to join or unite the pieces of; "patch the skirt" [syn: patch]
     2: make by putting pieces together; "She pieced a quilt" [syn:
        assemble, put together, set up] [ant: disassemble]
     3: join during spinning, as of broken pieces of thread,
        slivers, or rovings
     4: eat intermittently; take small bites of; "He pieced at the
        sandwich all morning"; "She never eats a full meal--she
        just picks at the food" [syn: nibble, pick]
     5: repair by adding pieces; "She pieced the china cup" [syn: patch]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 

Virtu \Vir*tu"\ (?; 277), n. [It. virt[`u] virtue, excellence,
   from L. virtus. See Virtue.]
   A love of the fine arts; a taste for curiosities. --J.
   Spence.

   An article, or piece, of virtu, an object of art or
      antiquity; a curiosity, such as those found in museums or
      private collections.

            I had thoughts, in my chambers to place it in view,
            To be shown to my friends as a piece of virt[`u].
                                                  --Goldsmith.
Piece \Piece\, v. i.
   To unite by a coalescence of parts; to fit together; to join.
   ``It pieced better.'' --Bacon.
Piece \Piece\, n. [OE. pece, F. pi[`e]ce, LL. pecia, petia,
   petium, probably of Celtic origin; cf. W. peth a thing, a
   part, portion, a little, Armor. pez, Gael. & Ir. cuid part,
   share. Cf. Petty.]
   1. A fragment or part of anything separated from the whole,
      in any manner, as by cutting, splitting, breaking, or
      tearing; a part; a portion; as, a piece of sugar; to break
      in pieces.

            Bring it out piece by piece.          --Ezek. xxiv.
                                                  6.

   2. A definite portion or quantity, as of goods or work; as, a
      piece of broadcloth; a piece of wall paper.

   3. Any one thing conceived of as apart from other things of
      the same kind; an individual article; a distinct single
      effort of a series; a definite performance; especially:
      (a) A literary or artistic composition; as, a piece of
          poetry, music, or statuary.
      (b) A musket, gun, or cannon; as, a battery of six pieces;
          a following piece.
      (c) A coin; as, a sixpenny piece; -- formerly applied
          specifically to an English gold coin worth 22
          shillings.
      (d) A fact; an item; as, a piece of news; a piece of
          knowledge.

   4. An individual; -- applied to a person as being of a
      certain nature or quality; often, but not always, used
      slightingly or in contempt. ``If I had not been a piece of
      a logician before I came to him.'' --Sir P. Sidney.

            Thy mother was a piece of virtue.     --Shak.

            His own spirit is as unsettled a piece as there is
            in all the world.                     --Coleridge.
Piece \Piece\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pieced; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Piecing.]
   1. To make, enlarge, or repair, by the addition of a piece or
      pieces; to patch; as, to piece a garment; -- often with
      out. --Shak.

   2. To unite; to join; to combine. --Fuller.

            His adversaries . . . pieced themselves together in
            a joint opposition against him.       --Fuller.