Piecemeal Definition

pēsmēl
adverb
Piece by piece; in small amounts or degrees.
Webster's New World
In pieces; apart.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
adjective
Accomplished or made in stages.
American Heritage
Made or done in pieces or one piece at a time.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
verb

To divide or distribute piecemeal; dismember.

Wiktionary
noun

A fragment; a scrap.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Piecemeal

Noun

Singular:
piecemeal
Plural:
piecemeals

Origin of Piecemeal

  • From Middle English pecemele, from pece (“piece") + mele (from Old English mÇ£lum (“at a time"), dative plural form of mÇ£l (“time, measure")), taking the place of Old English styÄ‹Ä‹emÇ£lum (“in pieces, bit by bit, piecemeal; to pieces, to bits; here and there, in different places; little by little, by degrees, gradually"); equivalent to piece +"Ž -meal.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English pecemeale pece piece piece -mele by a fixed measure (from Old English -mǣlum at a time) (from dative pl. of mǣl appointed time mē-2 in Indo-European roots)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Piecemeal Sentence Examples

  • After four days' heating the provisional front wall is removed piecemeal, and the retorts, after having been heated to redness, are inserted in corresponding sets.

  • In September 1825 Ibrahim, at the order of the sultan, had joined Reshid before the town; piecemeal the outlying forts and defences now fell, until the garrison, reduced by starvation and disease, determined to hazard all on a final sortie.

  • They were not assailed by a great religious movement, but destroyed piecemeal by the revolt of tribes and districts.

  • Rather its contents came to him piecemeal and at various stages in his ministry as a Christian "prophet," extending over a period of years; and, like certain Old Testament prophets, he shows us how by his own experiences he became the medium of a divine message to his church and to God's " elect " people at large.

  • When the Frank took the imperial crown of the west, Sicily still kept its allegiance to the Augustus who reigned at Constantinople, and was only torn away piecemeal from the empire by the next race of conquerors.

More Sentences

Related Articles

Piecemeal Is Also Mentioned In

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to piecemeal using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

PPIPIE

Words Ending With

LALEAL

Unscrambles

piecemeal

Words Starting With P and Ending With L

Starts With P & Ends With LStarts With PI & Ends With LStarts With P & Ends With AL

Word Length

9 Letter Words9 Letter Words Starting With P9 Letter Words Ending With L