15,000 words and phrases from more than 50 languages and their

245 pisé
circonstance, a composition written for a special event. —pièce de
résistance, the principal dish of a meal: also used figuratively.
—pièce de théâtre, a play. —pièce d'occasion, a piece for a special
occasion. —pièce justificative, voucher; document used as supporting
evidence: law. —pièces de batterie, heavy ordnance: mil.
pied [Fr], foot. —pied poudreux, lit., dusty foot; a tramp.
pied-à-terre [Fr; pi. pieds-à-terre], a resting place; temporary lodging.
pied noir [Fr], French person born in Algeria; French exile from
Algeria.
piedra [Sp], stone; gravel; mass of stones; med., a disease of the hair,
characterized by stony nodules.
piège [Fr], snare; trap.
Pietà [It], a representation of the Virgin Mary holding the dead body
of Christ: fine arts.
pietra dura [It], lit., hard stone; the stones used in Italian mosaics: fine
arts.
pietra mossa non fa muschio [It], a rolling stone gathers no moss.
piffero [It; pi. pifferi], a fife; also, an organ stop with a similar tone:
music.
pilau or pilaw [Pers], an Oriental dish of rice mixed with fowl, meat,
or fish, and highly seasoned: cookery.
pilon [Sp pilón], lit., sugar loaf; small gratuity given by a tradesman to
a customer, esp. on payment of an account: southwestern U.S. Cf.
LAGNIAPPE.
pimiento [Sp], the Spanish sweet pepper.
pina [Sp], pineapple; pine cone; also, short for pina cloth, a fabric
made from the fibrous leaves of the pineapple plant.
pince-nez [Fr; sing, fc? pi], eyeglasses with a spring to grip the nose.
mv€ και εύφραίνου [Gr; pîne kaì eufrainou], drink and be merry:
Palladas.
pinole [Sp], parched maize, ground and mixed with sugar and spices,
and much used as food: Mexico fcf southern U.S.
pinxit [L], lit., he (or she) painted it: appended to artist's name on a
picture (abbr. pinx.).
piolet [Fr], ice axe, as used by Alpine climbers.
pique [Fr], resentment; vexation.
piquer des deux [Fr], to spur with both heels; put spurs to one's horse;
colloq., to go very fast; strive hard.
pirogi [Russ], potato-filled pastries.
pirozhki [Russ], meat-filled pastries.
pis aller [Fr], lit., to go worst; last resource; makeshift.
piscem natare docere [L], to teach a fish how to swim.
pisco [Sp fr. Quechua], high-quality anisette from the Andes.
pisé [Fr], masonry; a method of building by ramming clay between
molds.