piecemeal
Meanings
Plural: piecemeals
Adjective Satellite
- one thing at a time
Adverb
- a little bit at a time
- "the research structure has developed piecemeal"
Adj
- Made or done in pieces or one stage at a time.
Adv
- Piece by piece; in small amounts, stages, or degrees.
- Into pieces or parts.
Verb
- To divide or distribute piecemeal; dismember.
Noun
- A fragment; a scrap.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English pecemele, from pece (“piece”) + mele (from Old English mǣlum (“at a time”), dative plural form of mǣl (“time, measure”), taking the place of Old English styċċemǣlum (“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 + -meal.
Synonyms
apart, apportion, asunder, bit, bit by bit, bit-by-bit, distribute, divide, in small stages, in stages, incrementally, little by little, lump, mete out, parcel out, piece, portion, step-by-step, stepwise
Scrabble Score: 15
piecemeal is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordpiecemeal is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
piecemeal is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary