précieux

[ prey-see-oo; French prey-syœ ]

/ ˌpreɪ siˈʊ; French preɪˈsyœ /

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adjective

(of a man) overly fastidious or refined; precious; affected.

noun, plural pré·cieux

[prey-see-ooz; French prey-syœ]. /ˌpreɪ siˈʊz; French preɪˈsyœ/.

an affected or excessively fastidious man, as in dress, manner, or speech.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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Origin of précieux

1890–95; <French; literally, precious

Words nearby précieux

precession, precession of the equinoxes, pre-Christian, pre-Christmas, précieuse, précieux, precinct, precincts, preciosity, precious, precious coral

How to use précieux in a sentence

Exemple frappant du rle reserv dans nos guerres modernes ce precieux et fragile moyen de communication.
The Rise of Rail-Power in War and Conquest, 1833-1914|Edwin A. Pratt
On devrait se garder de dposer ces choses-l sur des livres precieux.
French Book-plates|Walter Hamilton
There will be found anecdotes and memoirs, “rares et precieux” and above all truthful.
Dumas' Paris|Francis Miltoun