What does piquant mean?

Definitions for piquant
ˈpi kənt, -kɑnt, piˈkɑntpi·quant

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word piquant.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. piquant, savory, savoury, spicy, zestyadjective

    having an agreeably pungent taste

  2. piquant, saltyadjective

    engagingly stimulating or provocative

    "a piquant wit"; "salty language"

  3. engaging, piquantadjective

    attracting or delighting

    "an engaging frankness"; "a piquant face with large appealing eyes"

Wiktionary

  1. piquantadjective

    Engaging; charming.

  2. piquantadjective

    Favorably stimulating to the palate; pleasantly spicy; stimulating.

  3. piquantadjective

    Causing hurt feelings; scathing.

  4. Etymology: piquant, from piquer. Related to pike.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Piquantadjective

    Etymology: piquant, French.

    There are vast mountains of a transparent rock extremely solid, and as piquant to the tongue as salt. Joseph Addison, on Italy.

    Some think their wits asleep, except they dart out somewhat that is piquant, and to the quick: that is a vein that would be bridled; and men ought to find the difference between saltness and bitterness. Francis Bacon, Essays.

    Men make their railleries as piquant as they can to wound the deeper. Government of the Tongue.

ChatGPT

  1. piquant

    Piquant refers to something that has a pleasantly sharp, spicy, or tangy taste. It can also describe an aspect of something that is attractive, interesting, or exciting.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Piquantadjective

    stimulating to the taste; giving zest; tart; sharp; pungent; as, a piquant anecdote

  2. Etymology: [F., p. pr. of piquer to prick or sting. See Pike.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Piquant

    pē′kant, adj. stimulating to the taste: of a lively spark.—n. Piq′uancy.—adv. Piq′uantly. [Fr. piquant, pr.p. of piquer, to prick.]

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of piquant in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of piquant in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of piquant in a Sentence

  1. James Baldwin:

    Americans, unhappily, have the most remarkable ability to alchemize all bitter truths into an innocuous but piquant confection and to transform their moral contradictions, or public discussion of such contradictions, into a proud decoration, such as are given for heroism on the battle field.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

piquant#100000#102186#333333

Translations for piquant

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"piquant." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/piquant>.

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