piquant Hear it!

piquant definition

pi·quant (pē′kənt, -känt, -kwənt)

adjective

  1. agreeably pungent or stimulating to the taste; pleasantly sharp or biting
  2. exciting agreeable interest or curiosity; stimulating; provocative
  3. Archaic piercing or stinging; bitter

Etymology: Fr, prp. of piquer, to prick, sting: see pike

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

piquant Synonyms

piquant

modif.

  1. Stimulating the interest

    charming, sparkling, enticing; see exciting, interesting.

  2. Stimulating the taste

    tangy, zesty, spicy; see delicious 1, savory.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

piquant Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • sauce: They serve the freshest seafood: try scampi in a piquant tomato sauce on a bed of pasta.

Modifying Another Word

  • deliciously: A deliciously piquant dish of burgers, bullies and revenge!
piquant usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"piquant." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/piquant>

APA Style

piquant. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/piquant

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