piquancy

American  

[pee-kuhn-see, -kahn-] / ˈpi kən si, -kɑn- /

Rarely piquantness

noun

1. the fact or quality of being pleasantly strong, sharp, or tart in taste or flavor.

   Piquillo peppers, with their smoky, sweet piquancy, have a unique and irresistible flavor.

2. the fact or quality of being interestingly provocative, stimulating, lively, attractive, etc..

   These pithy sayings of his have more piquancy than objective truth.

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Etymology

Origin of piquancy

piqu(ant) ( def. ) + -ancy ( def. )

Example Sentences

Finally, a dose of horseradish gives the sauce a welcome piquancy.

From Washington Times • Sep. 12, 2023

If you’re not from Alabama, mayonnaise may sound like a strange ingredient for a barbecue sauce, but its creamy piquancy goes great with smoked chicken, pulled pork and roast beef.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 2, 2023

It wasn’t such an easy match for Stutzmann, however, who emphasized pleasant piquancy over pointed commentary, and carefully burnished the work’s rough-hewn edges.

From New York Times • Feb. 23, 2023

Comedy was his baseline, into which he could inject piquancy or poignancy or wickedness as the occasion demanded.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2022

A scholar named Thomas Cole, however, published an ingenious speculative essay in 1991.2 Corax’s name—giving extra piquancy to the judge’s joke—means “crow” in Greek, and Cole starts out arguing from common sense.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith