pièce de résistance
Americannoun
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the principal dish of a meal.
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the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction.
noun
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the principal or most outstanding item in a series or creative artist's work
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the main dish of a meal
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pièce de résistance
First recorded in 1780–90; from French: literally, “piece of resistance”; development of senses is unclear
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the pièce de résistance of her spooky spread?
From Salon • Oct. 27, 2025
If you want to buy a Birkin bag, the pièce de résistance from the French luxury retailer Hermès, you should know that you probably can’t.
From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2024
Young’s Lutiebelle confrontation with Sanders’ Cotchipee is the production’s pièce de résistance.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2023
Then came the Belmont, his pièce de résistance.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 10, 2023
Our pièce de résistance was the course of lectures in which Mr. Harris expounded Hegel.
From Four Americans Roosevelt, Hawthorne, Emerson, Whitman by Beers, Henry A. (Henry Augustin)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
