picayune

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English

Etymology

A picayune (noun sense 1) or Spanish half-real coin minted in Mexico in 1799.[n 1]

The noun is borrowed from southern French picaillon, pécaillon, picayon (type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money), and from its etymon Occitan picalhon, picaioun (cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money), probably from Occitan piquar (to ring (bells); to knock, strike) (referring to the clinking of coins in a pocket), originally imitative.[1]

The adjective is derived from the noun.

Pronunciation

Noun

picayune (plural picayunes) (chiefly US)

  1. (especially Louisiana, historical) A small coin of the value of six-and-a-quarter cents; a Spanish coin with a value of half a real; a fippenny bit.
  2. (by extension, archaic) A coin worth five cents (a nickel) or some other low value.
  3. (figuratively, informal) A person regarded as unworthy of respect or useless; also, something of very little value; a trifle.
    (person unworthy of respect or useless): Synonyms: see Thesaurus:nonentity
    (something of very little value): Synonyms: see Thesaurus:trifle
  4. (figuratively, informal) An argument, fact, or other issue raised (often intentionally) that distracts from a larger issue or fails to make any difference.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

picayune (comparative more picayune, superlative most picayune) (chiefly US, informal)

  1. Of little consequence; small and of little importance; petty, trivial.
    Synonyms: picayunish; see also Thesaurus:insignificant
  2. Childishly spiteful; tending to go on about unimportant things; small-minded.
    Synonyms: peevish, petty

Derived terms

Translations

Notes

  1. ^ From the collection of the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

References

Further reading