pièce de résistance
Americannoun
plural
pièces de résistance-
the principal dish of a meal.
-
the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction.
noun
-
the principal or most outstanding item in a series or creative artist's work
-
the main dish of a meal
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 this was O'Neill's piece de resistance - his moment, his day.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Welcome to Earth One, the piece de resistance at CalEarth, an educational campus and nonprofit organization in Hesperia that, for the last three decades, has championed a building style known as the SuperAdobe.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2025
Ermotti may need to persuade Switzerland's authorities that UBS should keep "the piece de resistance," Credit Suisse's domestic bank, said Porta's Wittmann.
From Reuters • Mar. 29, 2023
It is lovely over a salad, atop avocado toast, or — of course — in Eggs Benedict, arguably the piece de resistance of poached egg dishes.
From Salon • Mar. 5, 2023
Each family is an authority in itself as to the choice of the piece de resistance.
From Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book Numerous New Recipes Based on Present Economic Conditions by Wilson, Mary A.
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.
