pique

See also: Pique and piqué

English

Pronunciation

  • enPR: pēk, IPA(key): /piːk/
  • Homophones: peak, peek, peke
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːk

Etymology 1

Middle French pique (“a prick, sting”), from Old French pic (“a sharp point”).[1] Doublet of pike (“long pointed weapon”).

Noun

pique (countable and uncountable, plural piques)

  1. A feeling of enmity between two entities; ill-feeling, animosity; a transient feeling of wounded pride.
    • Dr. H. More
      Men take up piques and displeasures.
    • De Quincey
      Wars had arisen […] upon a personal pique.
  2. A feeling of irritation or resentment, awakened by a social slight or injury; offence, especially taken in an emotional sense with little thought or consideration.
    • 2018 April 10, Daniel Taylor, “Liverpool go through after Mohamed Salah stops Manchester City fightback”, in The Guardian (London)‎:
      Klopp’s team had the better balance between attack and defence and, crucially, they got lucky with the disallowed goal that brought Guardiola to the point of spontaneous combustion at half-time. Guardiola’s fit of pique led to his banishment from the dugout and City will wonder what might have happened if they had taken a 2-0 lead into the second half.
    • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, Abacus 2010, p. 7:
      This defiance was not a fit of pique, but a matter of principle.
    • Sweet Smell of Success (1957) screenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman, starring Burt Lancaster as J.J. Hunsecker who says:
      You think this is a personal thing with me? Are you telling me I think of this in terms of a personal pique?
  3. (obsolete) Keenly felt desire; a longing.
    • Hudibras
      Though it have the pique, and long, / 'Tis still for something in the wrong.
Translations

Verb

pique (third-person singular simple present piques, present participle piquing, simple past and past participle piqued)

  1. (transitive) To wound the pride of; to excite to anger.
    Synonyms: sting, nettle, irritate, fret
    • 1913, D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, chapter 11
      She treated him indulgently, as if he were a child. He thought he did not mind. But deep below the surface it piqued him.
    • Byron
      Pique her and soothe in turn.
  2. (reflexive) To take pride in; to pride oneself on.
    • John Locke
      Men […] pique themselves upon their skill.
  3. (transitive) To excite (someone) to action by causing resentment or jealousy; to stimulate (a feeling, emotion); to offend by slighting.
    Synonyms: excite, stimulate
    I believe this will pique your interest.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Prior to this entry?)
Translations

Etymology 2

From French pic.

Noun

pique (plural piques)

  1. (card games) In piquet, the right of the elder hand to count thirty in hand, or to play before the adversary counts one.

Verb

pique (third-person singular simple present piques, present participle piquing, simple past and past participle piqued)

  1. (card games, transitive) To score a pique against.

Etymology 3

From Spanish pique, from Central Quechua piki.

Noun

pique (plural piques)

  1. A chigger or jigger, Tunga penetrans.

Etymology 4

From French piqué from past participle of French piquer (“to prick, quilt”)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpiːkeɪ/

Noun

pique (countable and uncountable, plural piques)

  1. A durable ribbed fabric made from cotton, rayon, or silk.

References

  1. ↑ “pique” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2018.

Anagrams

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pik/
  • Audio (FR)(file)

Noun

pique f (plural piques)

  1. pike, lance
  2. (card games) spade (as a card suit)
    quatre de pique
    four of spades

Verb

pique

  1. first-person singular present indicative of piquer
  2. third-person singular present indicative of piquer
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of piquer
  4. third-person singular present subjunctive of piquer
  5. second-person singular imperative of piquer

See also

Suits in French · couleurs (layout · text)
cœur ♥ carreau ♦ pique ♠ trèfle ♣

Further reading

Middle French

Noun

pique f (plural piques)

  1. Alternative form of picque

Portuguese

Etymology

From Middle French picque (“a prick, sting”), from Old French pic (“a sharp point”).

Pronunciation

Noun

pique m (plural piques)

  1. any spear
  2. or specifically a pike
  3. hide-and-seek (game)

Synonyms

Derived terms

  • a pique, ir a pique

Verb

pique

  1. First-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of picar (sting)
  2. Third-person singular (ele, ela, also used with tu and você?) present subjunctive of picar
  3. Third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of picar
  4. Third-person singular (você) negative imperative of picar

Spanish

Noun

pique m (plural piques)

  1. (card games) spade
  2. downward movement
    irse a pique (sink [for a ship])
    1. jump, leap
  3. hit, fix (of drugs)
  4. rivalry, loggerheads
  5. grudge match

Derived terms

Verb

pique

  1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of picar.
  2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of picar.
  3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of picar.
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