Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A tightly woven fabric with various raised patterns, produced especially by a double warp.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In billiards, a draw, with the cue held almost perpendicularly, necessitated by the nearness of the cue-ball to an obstructing ball or cushion. It often passes for a massé. See massé.
  • noun A cotton material so woven as to have a small pattern in relief, usually rather thick and stiff, used for waistcoats, children's clothing, etc.
  • noun The pattern produced by quilting with the needle, consisting of slightly raised parts between the depressions caused by the rows of stitches. Also called French quilting.
  • noun A similar pattern in slight relief obtained in weaving, as in the material called piqué (see def. 1).
  • noun Same as piqué-work.
  • In music, same as picchetato.
  • Slightly soured; beginning to have an acid taste: said of wine which has been exposed to heat, or left insufficiently corked. Also pricked.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A cotton fabric, figured in the loom, -- used as a dress goods for women and children, and for vestings, etc.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A kind of ribbed or corded fabric.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, past participle of piquer, to quilt, from Old French, to backstitch, prick; see pique.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French, literally 'backstitched', past participle of piquer

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word piqué.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.