5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Virtu  \Vir*tu"\  (?;  277),  n.  [It.  virt[`u]  virtue,  excellence, 
  from  L.  virtus.  See  {Virtue}.] 
  A  love  of  the  fine  arts;  a  taste  for  curiosities.  --J. 
  Spence. 
 
  {An  article},  or  {piece},  {of  virtu},  an  object  of  art  or 
  antiquity;  a  curiosity,  such  as  those  found  in  museums  or 
  private  collections. 
 
  I  had  thoughts,  in  my  chambers  to  place  it  in  view, 
  To  be  shown  to  my  friends  as  a  piece  of  virt[`u]. 
  --Goldsmith. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Piece  \Piece\,  v.  i. 
  To  unite  by  a  coalescence  of  parts  to  fit  together;  to  join 
  ``It  pieced  better.''  --Bacon. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Piece  \Piece\,  n.  [OE.  pece,  F.  pi[`e]ce,  LL  pecia,  petia, 
  petium,  probably  of  Celtic  origin;  cf  W.  peth  a  thing  a 
  part  portion,  a  little,  Armor.  pez,  Gael.  &  Ir  cuid  part 
  share.  Cf  {Petty}.] 
  1.  A  fragment  or  part  of  anything  separated  from  the  whole, 
  in  any  manner,  as  by  cutting,  splitting,  breaking,  or 
  tearing;  a  part  a  portion;  as  a  piece  of  sugar;  to  break 
  in  pieces. 
 
  Bring  it  out  piece  by  piece.  --Ezek.  xxiv. 
  6. 
 
  2.  A  definite  portion  or  quantity,  as  of  goods  or  work  as  a 
  piece  of  broadcloth;  a  piece  of  wall  paper. 
 
  3.  Any  one  thing  conceived  of  as  apart  from  other  things  of 
  the  same  kind  an  individual  article;  a  distinct  single 
  effort  of  a  series;  a  definite  performance;  especially: 
  a  A  literary  or  artistic  composition;  as  a  piece  of 
  poetry,  music,  or  statuary. 
  b  A  musket,  gun,  or  cannon;  as  a  battery  of  six  pieces; 
  a  following  piece. 
  c  A  coin;  as  a  sixpenny  piece;  --  formerly  applied 
  specifically  to  an  English  gold  coin  worth  22 
  shillings. 
  d  A  fact  an  item;  as  a  piece  of  news  a  piece  of 
  knowledge. 
 
  4.  An  individual;  --  applied  to  a  person  as  being  of  a 
  certain  nature  or  quality;  often  but  not  always  used 
  slightingly  or  in  contempt.  ``If  I  had  not  been  a  piece  of 
  a  logician  before  I  came  to  him.''  --Sir  P.  Sidney. 
 
  Thy  mother  was  a  piece  of  virtue.  --Shak. 
 
  His  own  spirit  is  as  unsettled  a  piece  as  there  is 
  in  all  the  world.  --Coleridge. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Piece  \Piece\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Pieced};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Piecing}.] 
  1.  To  make  enlarge,  or  repair,  by  the  addition  of  a  piece  or 
  pieces;  to  patch;  as  to  piece  a  garment;  --  often  with 
  out  --Shak. 
 
  2.  To  unite;  to  join  to  combine.  --Fuller. 
 
  His  adversaries  .  .  .  pieced  themselves  together  in 
  a  joint  opposition  against  him  --Fuller. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  piece 
  n  1:  a  separate  part  of  a  whole:  "and  important  piece  of  the 
  evidence" 
  2:  an  item  that  is  an  instance  of  some  type  "he  designed  a  new 
  piece  of  equipment"  or  "she  bought  a  lovely  piece  of 
  china" 
  3:  a  portion  of  a  natural  object;  "they  analyzed  the  river  into 
  three  parts";  "he  needed  a  piece  of  granite"  [syn:  {part}] 
  4:  a  musical  work  that  has  been  created;  "the  composition  is 
  written  in  four  movements"  [syn:  {musical  composition},  {opus}, 
  {composition},  {piece  of  music}] 
  5:  an  instance  of  some  kind  "it  was  a  nice  piece  of  work";  "he 
  had  a  bit  of  good  luck"  [syn:  {bit}] 
  6:  an  artistic  or  literary  composition;  "he  wrote  an 
  interesting  piece  on  Iran";  "the  children  acted  out  a 
  comic  piece  to  amuse  the  guests" 
  7:  a  portable  gun;  "he  wore  his  firearm  in  a  shoulder  holster" 
  [syn:  {firearm},  {small-arm}] 
  8:  a  serving  that  has  been  cut  from  a  larger  portion;  "a  piece 
  of  pie";  "a  slice  of  bread"  [syn:  {slice}] 
  9:  a  distance;  "it  is  down  the  road  a  piece" 
  10:  an  object  created  by  a  sculptor;  "it  was  not  known  who 
  created  the  piece" 
  11:  a  period  of  indeterminate  length  (usually  short)  marked  by 
  some  action  or  condition;  "he  was  here  for  a  little 
  while";  "I  need  to  rest  for  a  piece";  "a  spell  of  good 
  weather"  [syn:  {while},  {spell}] 
  12:  a  share  of  something  "a  slice  of  the  company's  revenue" 
  [syn:  {slice}] 
  13:  a  small  object  used  in  playing  certain  board  games;  "he 
  taught  me  to  set  up  the  men  on  the  chess  board";  "he 
  sacrificed  a  piece  to  get  a  strategic  advantage"  [syn:  {man}] 
  v  1:  to  join  or  unite  the  pieces  of  "patch  the  skirt"  [syn:  {patch}] 
  2:  make  by  putting  pieces  together;  "She  pieced  a  quilt"  [syn: 
  {assemble},  {put  together},  {set  up}]  [ant:  {disassemble}] 
  3:  join  during  spinning,  as  of  broken  pieces  of  thread, 
  slivers,  or  rovings 
  4:  eat  intermittently;  take  small  bites  of  "He  pieced  at  the 
  sandwich  all  morning";  "She  never  eats  a  full  meal--she 
  just  picks  at  the  food"  [syn:  {nibble},  {pick}] 
  5:  repair  by  adding  pieces;  "She  pieced  the  china  cup"  [syn:  {patch}] 

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