nonpareil
[ non-puh-rel ]
/ ˌnɒn pəˈrɛl /
adjective
having no equal; peerless.
noun
a person or thing having no equal.
a small pellet of colored sugar for decorating candy, cake, and cookies.
a flat, round, bite-sized piece of chocolate covered with this sugar.
Printing.
- a 6-point type.
- a slug occupying 6 points of space between lines.
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Nearby words
Origin of nonpareil
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for nonpareil
British Dictionary definitions for nonpareil
nonpareil
/ (ˈnɒnpərəl, ˌnɒnpəˈreɪl) /
noun
a person or thing that is unsurpassed or unmatched; peerless example
(formerly) a size of printers' type equal to 6 point
US a small bead of coloured sugar used to decorate cakes, biscuits, etc
mainly US a flat round piece of chocolate covered with this sugar
adjective
having no match or equal; peerless
Word Origin for nonpareil
C15: from French, from non- + pareil same
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for nonpareil
nonpareil
late 15c., "having no equal," from Middle French nonpareil "unequalled, peerless," from non- "not" (see non-) + pareil "equal." The noun meaning "an unequaled person or thing" is from 1590s; first applied to a kind of candy 1690s. As the name of a printing type (6 point size) it is attested from 1640s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper