"picayune" meaning in English

See picayune in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˌpɪkəˈjun/ [General-American], /-ki-/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-picayune.wav [Southern-England] Forms: more picayune [comparative], most picayune [superlative]
enPR: ʹpĭk'ə'yo͝on Rhymes: -uːn Etymology: 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. The adjective is derived from the noun. Etymology templates: {{l|en|real|id=coin}} real, {{ref|From the collection of the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.|group=n|name=n1}}, {{glossary|noun}} noun, {{bor|en|fr|picaillon}} French picaillon, {{m|fr|pécaillon}} pécaillon, {{m|fr|picayon|t=type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money}} picayon (“type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money”), {{glossary|etymon}} etymon, {{bor|en|oc|picalhon}} Occitan picalhon, {{m|oc|picaioun|t=cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money}} picaioun (“cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money”), {{der|en|oc|piquar|t=to ring (bells); to knock, strike}} Occitan piquar (“to ring (bells); to knock, strike”), {{glossary|imitative}} imitative, {{glossary|adjective}} adjective Head templates: {{en-adj}} picayune (comparative more picayune, superlative most picayune)
  1. Of little consequence; small and of little importance; petty, trivial. Tags: US, informal Categories (topical): Coins, Historical currencies Synonyms: picayunish, insignificant
    Sense id: en-picayune-en-adj-94ctFq4C Disambiguation of Coins: 10 15 25 25 18 8 Disambiguation of Historical currencies: 11 14 22 22 20 9 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 25 14 13 24 10
  2. Childishly spiteful; tending to go on about unimportant things; small-minded. Tags: US, informal Categories (topical): Coins, Historical currencies, History of Spain, History of the United States Synonyms: peevish, petty
    Sense id: en-picayune-en-adj-kBYb3KR9 Disambiguation of Coins: 10 15 25 25 18 8 Disambiguation of Historical currencies: 11 14 22 22 20 9 Disambiguation of History of Spain: 3 40 47 3 6 2 Disambiguation of History of the United States: 8 55 8 7 14 7 Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of American English: 12 35 10 10 20 13 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 25 14 13 24 10
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: picayunely, picayuneness

Noun

IPA: /ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˌpɪkəˈjun/ [General-American], /-ki-/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-picayune.wav [Southern-England] Forms: picayunes [plural]
enPR: ʹpĭk'ə'yo͝on Rhymes: -uːn Etymology: 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. The adjective is derived from the noun. Etymology templates: {{l|en|real|id=coin}} real, {{ref|From the collection of the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.|group=n|name=n1}}, {{glossary|noun}} noun, {{bor|en|fr|picaillon}} French picaillon, {{m|fr|pécaillon}} pécaillon, {{m|fr|picayon|t=type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money}} picayon (“type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money”), {{glossary|etymon}} etymon, {{bor|en|oc|picalhon}} Occitan picalhon, {{m|oc|picaioun|t=cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money}} picaioun (“cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money”), {{der|en|oc|piquar|t=to ring (bells); to knock, strike}} Occitan piquar (“to ring (bells); to knock, strike”), {{glossary|imitative}} imitative, {{glossary|adjective}} adjective Head templates: {{en-noun}} picayune (plural picayunes)
  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. Tags: Louisiana, US, especially, historical Categories (topical): Coins, Historical currencies, History of Spain
    Sense id: en-picayune-en-noun-OYhZZpHO Disambiguation of Coins: 10 15 25 25 18 8 Disambiguation of Historical currencies: 11 14 22 22 20 9 Disambiguation of History of Spain: 3 40 47 3 6 2 Categories (other): Louisiana English, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 25 14 13 24 10
  2. (by extension, archaic) A coin worth five cents (a nickel) or some other low value. Tags: US, archaic, broadly Categories (topical): Coins, Historical currencies
    Sense id: en-picayune-en-noun-rivls5eh Disambiguation of Coins: 10 15 25 25 18 8 Disambiguation of Historical currencies: 11 14 22 22 20 9 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 25 14 13 24 10
  3. (figuratively, informal) A person regarded as unworthy of respect or useless; also, something of very little value; a trifle. Tags: US, figuratively, informal Categories (topical): Coins, Historical currencies, People Synonyms: nonentity, trifle
    Sense id: en-picayune-en-noun-xkQXm5Kf Disambiguation of Coins: 10 15 25 25 18 8 Disambiguation of Historical currencies: 11 14 22 22 20 9 Disambiguation of People: 6 37 1 1 56 0 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 25 14 13 24 10
  4. (figuratively, informal) An argument, fact, or other issue raised (often intentionally) that distracts from a larger issue or fails to make any difference. Tags: US, figuratively, informal
    Sense id: en-picayune-en-noun-0N5sJXwX Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 25 14 13 24 10
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: picayuneish, picayunish, picayunishness, picayunity

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for picayune meaning in English (15.7kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "picayuneish"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "picayunish"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "picayunishness"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "picayunity"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "real",
        "id": "coin"
      },
      "expansion": "real",
      "name": "l"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "From the collection of the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.",
        "group": "n",
        "name": "n1"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "ref"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "noun",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "picaillon"
      },
      "expansion": "French picaillon",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "pécaillon"
      },
      "expansion": "pécaillon",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "picayon",
        "t": "type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money"
      },
      "expansion": "picayon (“type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "etymon"
      },
      "expansion": "etymon",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oc",
        "3": "picalhon"
      },
      "expansion": "Occitan picalhon",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "oc",
        "2": "picaioun",
        "t": "cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money"
      },
      "expansion": "picaioun (“cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oc",
        "3": "piquar",
        "t": "to ring (bells); to knock, strike"
      },
      "expansion": "Occitan piquar (“to ring (bells); to knock, strike”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "imitative"
      },
      "expansion": "imitative",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "adjective",
      "name": "glossary"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.\nThe adjective is derived from the noun.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "picayunes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "picayune (plural picayunes)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "pic‧a‧yune"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Louisiana English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 25 14 13 24 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 15 25 25 18 8",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Coins",
          "orig": "en:Coins",
          "parents": [
            "Money",
            "Business",
            "Economics",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 14 22 22 20 9",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Historical currencies",
          "orig": "en:Historical currencies",
          "parents": [
            "Currencies",
            "Currency",
            "Money",
            "Business",
            "Economics",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 40 47 3 6 2",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "History of Spain",
          "orig": "en:History of Spain",
          "parents": [
            "History of Europe",
            "Spain",
            "Europe",
            "History",
            "Earth",
            "Eurasia",
            "All topics",
            "Nature",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "id": "en-picayune-en-noun-OYhZZpHO",
      "links": [
        [
          "small",
          "small"
        ],
        [
          "coin",
          "coin#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "value",
          "value#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "six",
          "six"
        ],
        [
          "quarter",
          "quarter#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "cent",
          "cent"
        ],
        [
          "Spanish",
          "Spanish#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "half",
          "half"
        ],
        [
          "real",
          "real#English:_coin"
        ],
        [
          "fippenny bit",
          "fippenny bit"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(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."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Louisiana",
        "US",
        "especially",
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "13 25 14 13 24 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 15 25 25 18 8",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Coins",
          "orig": "en:Coins",
          "parents": [
            "Money",
            "Business",
            "Economics",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 14 22 22 20 9",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Historical currencies",
          "orig": "en:Historical currencies",
          "parents": [
            "Currencies",
            "Currency",
            "Money",
            "Business",
            "Economics",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A coin worth five cents (a nickel) or some other low value."
      ],
      "id": "en-picayune-en-noun-rivls5eh",
      "links": [
        [
          "worth",
          "worth#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "five",
          "five"
        ],
        [
          "nickel",
          "nickel#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "low",
          "low#Adjective"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension, archaic) A coin worth five cents (a nickel) or some other low value."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "archaic",
        "broadly"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "13 25 14 13 24 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 15 25 25 18 8",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Coins",
          "orig": "en:Coins",
          "parents": [
            "Money",
            "Business",
            "Economics",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 14 22 22 20 9",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Historical currencies",
          "orig": "en:Historical currencies",
          "parents": [
            "Currencies",
            "Currency",
            "Money",
            "Business",
            "Economics",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 37 1 1 56 0",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "(person unworthy of respect or useless):"
        },
        {
          "text": "(something of very little value):"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person regarded as unworthy of respect or useless; also, something of very little value; a trifle."
      ],
      "id": "en-picayune-en-noun-xkQXm5Kf",
      "links": [
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "regarded",
          "regard#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "unworthy",
          "unworthy"
        ],
        [
          "respect",
          "respect#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "useless",
          "useless"
        ],
        [
          "little",
          "little"
        ],
        [
          "trifle",
          "trifle#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, informal) A person regarded as unworthy of respect or useless; also, something of very little value; a trifle."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "nonentity"
        },
        {
          "word": "trifle"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "figuratively",
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "13 25 14 13 24 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An argument, fact, or other issue raised (often intentionally) that distracts from a larger issue or fails to make any difference."
      ],
      "id": "en-picayune-en-noun-0N5sJXwX",
      "links": [
        [
          "argument",
          "argument"
        ],
        [
          "fact",
          "fact"
        ],
        [
          "issue",
          "issue#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "raised",
          "raise#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "intentionally",
          "intentionally"
        ],
        [
          "distract",
          "distract"
        ],
        [
          "large",
          "large"
        ],
        [
          "fails",
          "fail#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "difference",
          "difference"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, informal) An argument, fact, or other issue raised (often intentionally) that distracts from a larger issue or fails to make any difference."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "figuratively",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌpɪkəˈjun/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/-ki-/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uːn"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-picayune.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "ʹpĭk'ə'yo͝on"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Missouri History Museum"
  ],
  "word": "picayune"
}

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "picayunely"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "picayuneness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "real",
        "id": "coin"
      },
      "expansion": "real",
      "name": "l"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "From the collection of the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.",
        "group": "n",
        "name": "n1"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "ref"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "noun",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "picaillon"
      },
      "expansion": "French picaillon",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "pécaillon"
      },
      "expansion": "pécaillon",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "picayon",
        "t": "type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money"
      },
      "expansion": "picayon (“type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "etymon"
      },
      "expansion": "etymon",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oc",
        "3": "picalhon"
      },
      "expansion": "Occitan picalhon",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "oc",
        "2": "picaioun",
        "t": "cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money"
      },
      "expansion": "picaioun (“cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oc",
        "3": "piquar",
        "t": "to ring (bells); to knock, strike"
      },
      "expansion": "Occitan piquar (“to ring (bells); to knock, strike”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "imitative"
      },
      "expansion": "imitative",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "adjective",
      "name": "glossary"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.\nThe adjective is derived from the noun.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more picayune",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most picayune",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "picayune (comparative more picayune, superlative most picayune)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "pic‧a‧yune"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "13 25 14 13 24 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 15 25 25 18 8",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Coins",
          "orig": "en:Coins",
          "parents": [
            "Money",
            "Business",
            "Economics",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 14 22 22 20 9",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Historical currencies",
          "orig": "en:Historical currencies",
          "parents": [
            "Currencies",
            "Currency",
            "Money",
            "Business",
            "Economics",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1997, David Foster Wallace, “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again”, in A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company",
          "text": "It's also representative of a psychological syndrome that I notice has gotten steadily worse as the Cruise wears on, a mental list of dissatisfactions and grievances that started picayune but has quickly become nearly despair-grade.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005 November 17, Sarah Lyall, “In an old Celtic revival, spelling is a test of wills”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC",
          "text": "[T]here are four competing groups promoting the language – and they cannot agree even on how it should be spelled (Kernewek, Kernowek, Kernuak and Curnoack, among others). It might seem like a picayune matter, akin to the rivalry in the film \"Monty Python's Life of Brian\" between the Judean People's Front, the Judean Popular People's Front and the People's Front of Judea. But the issue is deadly serious to speakers of Cornish.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of little consequence; small and of little importance; petty, trivial."
      ],
      "id": "en-picayune-en-adj-94ctFq4C",
      "links": [
        [
          "little",
          "little"
        ],
        [
          "consequence",
          "consequence"
        ],
        [
          "small",
          "small"
        ],
        [
          "importance",
          "importance"
        ],
        [
          "petty",
          "petty"
        ],
        [
          "trivial",
          "trivial"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "picayunish"
        },
        {
          "word": "insignificant"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "12 35 10 10 20 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 25 14 13 24 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 15 25 25 18 8",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Coins",
          "orig": "en:Coins",
          "parents": [
            "Money",
            "Business",
            "Economics",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 14 22 22 20 9",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Historical currencies",
          "orig": "en:Historical currencies",
          "parents": [
            "Currencies",
            "Currency",
            "Money",
            "Business",
            "Economics",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 40 47 3 6 2",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "History of Spain",
          "orig": "en:History of Spain",
          "parents": [
            "History of Europe",
            "Spain",
            "Europe",
            "History",
            "Earth",
            "Eurasia",
            "All topics",
            "Nature",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 55 8 7 14 7",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "History of the United States",
          "orig": "en:History of the United States",
          "parents": [
            "United States",
            "History",
            "North America",
            "All topics",
            "America",
            "Fundamental",
            "Earth",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Childishly spiteful; tending to go on about unimportant things; small-minded."
      ],
      "id": "en-picayune-en-adj-kBYb3KR9",
      "links": [
        [
          "Childishly",
          "childishly"
        ],
        [
          "spiteful",
          "spiteful"
        ],
        [
          "tend",
          "tend"
        ],
        [
          "go on",
          "go on"
        ],
        [
          "unimportant",
          "unimportant"
        ],
        [
          "thing",
          "thing"
        ],
        [
          "small-minded",
          "small-minded"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "peevish"
        },
        {
          "word": "petty"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌpɪkəˈjun/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/-ki-/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uːn"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-picayune.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "ʹpĭk'ə'yo͝on"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Missouri History Museum"
  ],
  "word": "picayune"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "American English",
    "English 3-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English informal terms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from French",
    "English terms borrowed from Occitan",
    "English terms derived from French",
    "English terms derived from Occitan",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "Requests for review of Dutch translations",
    "Rhymes:English/uːn",
    "Rhymes:English/uːn/3 syllables",
    "en:Coins",
    "en:Historical currencies",
    "en:History of Spain",
    "en:History of the United States",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "picayuneish"
    },
    {
      "word": "picayunish"
    },
    {
      "word": "picayunishness"
    },
    {
      "word": "picayunity"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "real",
        "id": "coin"
      },
      "expansion": "real",
      "name": "l"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "From the collection of the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.",
        "group": "n",
        "name": "n1"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "ref"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "noun",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "picaillon"
      },
      "expansion": "French picaillon",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "pécaillon"
      },
      "expansion": "pécaillon",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "picayon",
        "t": "type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money"
      },
      "expansion": "picayon (“type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "etymon"
      },
      "expansion": "etymon",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oc",
        "3": "picalhon"
      },
      "expansion": "Occitan picalhon",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "oc",
        "2": "picaioun",
        "t": "cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money"
      },
      "expansion": "picaioun (“cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oc",
        "3": "piquar",
        "t": "to ring (bells); to knock, strike"
      },
      "expansion": "Occitan piquar (“to ring (bells); to knock, strike”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "imitative"
      },
      "expansion": "imitative",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "adjective",
      "name": "glossary"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.\nThe adjective is derived from the noun.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "picayunes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "picayune (plural picayunes)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "pic‧a‧yune"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with historical senses",
        "Louisiana English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "small",
          "small"
        ],
        [
          "coin",
          "coin#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "value",
          "value#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "six",
          "six"
        ],
        [
          "quarter",
          "quarter#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "cent",
          "cent"
        ],
        [
          "Spanish",
          "Spanish#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "half",
          "half"
        ],
        [
          "real",
          "real#English:_coin"
        ],
        [
          "fippenny bit",
          "fippenny bit"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(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."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Louisiana",
        "US",
        "especially",
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A coin worth five cents (a nickel) or some other low value."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "worth",
          "worth#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "five",
          "five"
        ],
        [
          "nickel",
          "nickel#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "low",
          "low#Adjective"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension, archaic) A coin worth five cents (a nickel) or some other low value."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "archaic",
        "broadly"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "(person unworthy of respect or useless):"
        },
        {
          "text": "(something of very little value):"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person regarded as unworthy of respect or useless; also, something of very little value; a trifle."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "regarded",
          "regard#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "unworthy",
          "unworthy"
        ],
        [
          "respect",
          "respect#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "useless",
          "useless"
        ],
        [
          "little",
          "little"
        ],
        [
          "trifle",
          "trifle#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, informal) A person regarded as unworthy of respect or useless; also, something of very little value; a trifle."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "nonentity"
        },
        {
          "word": "trifle"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "figuratively",
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An argument, fact, or other issue raised (often intentionally) that distracts from a larger issue or fails to make any difference."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "argument",
          "argument"
        ],
        [
          "fact",
          "fact"
        ],
        [
          "issue",
          "issue#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "raised",
          "raise#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "intentionally",
          "intentionally"
        ],
        [
          "distract",
          "distract"
        ],
        [
          "large",
          "large"
        ],
        [
          "fails",
          "fail#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "difference",
          "difference"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, informal) An argument, fact, or other issue raised (often intentionally) that distracts from a larger issue or fails to make any difference."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "figuratively",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌpɪkəˈjun/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/-ki-/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uːn"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-picayune.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "ʹpĭk'ə'yo͝on"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Missouri History Museum"
  ],
  "word": "picayune"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "American English",
    "English 3-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English informal terms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from French",
    "English terms borrowed from Occitan",
    "English terms derived from French",
    "English terms derived from Occitan",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "Requests for review of Dutch translations",
    "Rhymes:English/uːn",
    "Rhymes:English/uːn/3 syllables",
    "en:Coins",
    "en:Historical currencies",
    "en:History of Spain",
    "en:History of the United States",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "picayunely"
    },
    {
      "word": "picayuneness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "real",
        "id": "coin"
      },
      "expansion": "real",
      "name": "l"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "From the collection of the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.",
        "group": "n",
        "name": "n1"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "ref"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "noun",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "picaillon"
      },
      "expansion": "French picaillon",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "pécaillon"
      },
      "expansion": "pécaillon",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "picayon",
        "t": "type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money"
      },
      "expansion": "picayon (“type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "etymon"
      },
      "expansion": "etymon",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oc",
        "3": "picalhon"
      },
      "expansion": "Occitan picalhon",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "oc",
        "2": "picaioun",
        "t": "cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money"
      },
      "expansion": "picaioun (“cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "oc",
        "3": "piquar",
        "t": "to ring (bells); to knock, strike"
      },
      "expansion": "Occitan piquar (“to ring (bells); to knock, strike”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "imitative"
      },
      "expansion": "imitative",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "adjective",
      "name": "glossary"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.\nThe adjective is derived from the noun.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more picayune",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most picayune",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "picayune (comparative more picayune, superlative most picayune)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "pic‧a‧yune"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1997, David Foster Wallace, “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again”, in A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company",
          "text": "It's also representative of a psychological syndrome that I notice has gotten steadily worse as the Cruise wears on, a mental list of dissatisfactions and grievances that started picayune but has quickly become nearly despair-grade.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005 November 17, Sarah Lyall, “In an old Celtic revival, spelling is a test of wills”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC",
          "text": "[T]here are four competing groups promoting the language – and they cannot agree even on how it should be spelled (Kernewek, Kernowek, Kernuak and Curnoack, among others). It might seem like a picayune matter, akin to the rivalry in the film \"Monty Python's Life of Brian\" between the Judean People's Front, the Judean Popular People's Front and the People's Front of Judea. But the issue is deadly serious to speakers of Cornish.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of little consequence; small and of little importance; petty, trivial."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "little",
          "little"
        ],
        [
          "consequence",
          "consequence"
        ],
        [
          "small",
          "small"
        ],
        [
          "importance",
          "importance"
        ],
        [
          "petty",
          "petty"
        ],
        [
          "trivial",
          "trivial"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "picayunish"
        },
        {
          "word": "insignificant"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Childishly spiteful; tending to go on about unimportant things; small-minded."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Childishly",
          "childishly"
        ],
        [
          "spiteful",
          "spiteful"
        ],
        [
          "tend",
          "tend"
        ],
        [
          "go on",
          "go on"
        ],
        [
          "unimportant",
          "unimportant"
        ],
        [
          "thing",
          "thing"
        ],
        [
          "small-minded",
          "small-minded"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "peevish"
        },
        {
          "word": "petty"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌpɪkəˈjun/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/-ki-/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uːn"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-picayune.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-picayune.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "ʹpĭk'ə'yo͝on"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Missouri History Museum"
  ],
  "word": "picayune"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.