piquant

piquant
piquancy, piquantness, n.piquantly, adv.
/pee"keuhnt, -kahnt, pee kahnt"/, adj.
1. agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart: a piquant aspic.
2. agreeably stimulating, interesting, or attractive: a piquant glance.
3. of an interestingly provocative or lively character: a piquant wit.
4. Archaic. sharp or stinging, esp. to the feelings.
[1515-25; < F: lit., pricking (see PIQUE1, -ANT); r. pickante < It piccante]
Syn. 1. spicy. 2. intriguing. 3. sharp, clever.
Ant. 1. insipid.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • piquant — piquant, ante (pi kan, kan t ) adj. 1°   Qui pique. Les orties sont piquantes. •   Il n y a personne qui ne connaisse quelque douleur d estomac ; celle que vous sentez est plus piquante et plus pesante, SÉV. 24 janv. 1680. •   Je ne puis croire… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Piquant — Pi quant, a. [F., p. pr. of piquer to prick or sting. See {Pike}.] Stimulating to the taste; giving zest; tart; sharp; pungent; as, a piquant anecdote. As piquant to the tongue as salt. Addison. Piquant railleries. Gov. of Tongue. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • piquant — 1520s, from M.Fr. piquant pricking, stimulating, irritating, from O.Fr. prp. of piquer to prick, sting, nettle (see PIKE (Cf. pike) (2)). Related: Piquancy …   Etymology dictionary

  • Piquant — (v. fr., spr. Pikang), 1) stechend, scharf, beißend; 2) anzüglich, stark, reizend, in körperlicher wie geistiger Beziehung. Piquiren, reizen; sich piquiren, auf Etwas erpicht sein. Piquirt, gereizt, empfindlich etc …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • piquant — index hot blooded, incisive, moving (evoking emotion), palatable, provocative, sapid, savory Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Bur …   Law dictionary

  • piquant — *pungent, poignant, racy, spicy, snappy Analogous words: incisive, trenchant, cutting, biting, clear cut Antonyms: bland Contrasted words: insipid, flat, banal, jejune, inane …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • piquant — meaning ‘agreeably pungent’ or ‘pleasantly stimulating’, is pronounced pee kǝnt …   Modern English usage

  • piquant — [adj] flavorful, biting highly seasoned, interesting, lively, peppery, poignant, provocative, pungent, racy, savory, sharp, snappy, sparkling, spicy, spirited, stimulating, stinging, tangy, tart, well flavored, with a kick*, zestful, zesty;… …   New thesaurus

  • piquant — ► ADJECTIVE 1) having a pleasantly sharp taste or appetizing flavour. 2) pleasantly stimulating or exciting. DERIVATIVES piquancy noun piquantly adverb. ORIGIN French, stinging, pricking …   English terms dictionary

  • piquant — [pē′kənt, pē′känt, pē′kwənt] adj. [Fr, prp. of piquer, to prick, sting: see PIKE2] 1. agreeably pungent or stimulating to the taste; pleasantly sharp or biting 2. exciting agreeable interest or curiosity; stimulating; provocative 3. Archaic… …   English World dictionary

  • piquant — 1. piquant, ante [ pikɑ̃, ɑ̃t ] adj. • 1398; de piquer 1 ♦ Qui présente une ou plusieurs pointes acérées capables de piquer, de percer. ⇒ pointu. Les feuilles piquantes du houx. L eau « est trop froide, [...] les cailloux piquants » (Duhamel). 2… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

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