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picayune
[ pik-ee-yoon, pik-uh- ]
/ ˌpɪk iˈyun, ˌpɪk ə- /
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adjective Also pic·a·yun·ish. Informal.
noun
(formerly, in Louisiana, Florida, etc.) a coin equal to half a Spanish real.
any small coin, as a five-cent piece.
Informal. an insignificant person or thing.
OTHER WORDS FOR picayune
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Origin of picayune
First recorded in 1780–90; from Provençal picaioun “small copper coin” (compare French picaillons ), derivative of an unattested onomatopoetic base pikk- “beat,” here referring to the coining of coppers
OTHER WORDS FROM picayune
pic·a·yun·ish·ly, adverbpic·a·yun·ish·ness, nounWords nearby picayune
picaresque, picaro, picaroon, Picasso, Picasso, Pablo, picayune, Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, piccalilli, piccanin, piccaninny
Other definitions for picayune (2 of 2)
Picayune
[ pik-uh-yoon, pik-ee- ]
/ ˌpɪk əˈyun, ˌpɪk i- /
noun
a town in SE Mississippi.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use picayune in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for picayune
picayune
/ (ˌpɪkəˈjuːn) /
adjective Also: picayunish US and Canadian informal
of small value or importance
mean; petty
noun
the half real, an old Spanish-American coin
US any coin of little value, esp a five-cent piece
Derived forms of picayune
picayunishly, adverbpicayunishness, nounWord Origin for picayune
C19: from French picaillon coin from Piedmont, from Provençal picaioun, of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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