Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Piquant quality. Agreeable pungency or sharpness, as of flavor or taste.
- n. Keenness; sharpness; tartness; severity, as of remark or utterance.
Wiktionary
- n. The degree to which something is piquant, stimulating or exciting.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The quality or state of being piquant.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a tart spicy quality
- n. the quality of being agreeably stimulating or mentally exciting
Examples
“The scale used to measure chile pepper piquancy is called the Scoville scale.”
“But what this sauce lacked in piquancy, it made up for it in creamy comfort and a taste so smooth I’d always order an extra bowl on the side.”
“¹ Scoville Heat Unit, a system of measurement for establishing the "piquancy" of a chili pepper.”
“My mother, a teacher for nearly twenty years, liked the picture but missed the "piquancy" of the novel.”
“It is true that the curly-leaved endive is at times to be obtained here, but it is extensively cultivated in England, as it is very crisp and tender, while it also possesses a piquancy which is greatly appreciated.”
“His French name gave a kind of piquancy to his audacity; he was unusual; he was striking.”
“Indeed, this moral intention, so often idly and offensively put forward by those who are themselves mere pornographers, pervades Restif throughout, and, while it certainly sometimes does carry dulness with it, undoubtedly contributes at others a kind of piquancy, because of its evident sincerity, and the quaint contrast with the subjects the author is handling.”
A History of the French Novel, Vol. 1 From the Beginning to 1800
“To be fair, Lesley does suggest using the juice from pickled beetroot to improve the colour of the soup, which has the virtue of imparting a certain piquancy, but goes against Maria Lemnis' stern prohibition on the use of vinegar in borscht.”
“My friend Del's bison burger was a succulent symphony of robust meat and subtle umami mushrooms and onions wrapped in a crusty flax bun; my Alaskan halibut soft tacos offered a generous portion of firm snowy-white fish uplifted by the creaminess of avocado and tickled by the piquancy of pickled onions, with an undertone of heat that gave me the kick I had been looking for.”
“That his narrow victory was won over his older brother David added an extra piquancy to the contest but it does not make his views any more palatable to the Blairite tendency in the Labour party.”
seanahan I'm not so sure it works, but I've only ever heard it in terms of food, so I'm not a great judge. Aug 15, 2007
sera The piquancy of the evening was refreshing. ~Sera
Good usage? Aug 15, 2007