What is "pique"

Pique \Pique\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Piqued; p. pr. & vb. n. Piquing.] [F. piquer. See Pike.]

1. To wound the pride of; to sting; to nettle; to irritate; to fret; to offend; to excite to anger.

   Pique her, and soothe in turn.
   --Byron.

2. To excite to action by causing resentment or jealousy; to stimulate; to prick; as, to pique ambition, or curiosity.
   --Prior.

3. To pride or value; -- used reflexively.

   Men . . . pique themselves upon their skill.
   --Locke.

   Syn: To offend; displease; irritate; provoke; fret; nettle; sting; goad; stimulate.

Pique \Pique\, n. (Zo["o]l.) The jigger. See Jigger.

Pique \Pique\, n. [F., fr. piquer. See Pike.]

1. A feeling of hurt, vexation, or resentment, awakened by a social slight or injury; irritation of the feelings, as through wounded pride; stinging vexation.

   Men take up piques and displeasures.
   --Dr. H. More.

   Wars had arisen . . . upon a personal pique.
   --De Quincey.

2. Keenly felt desire; a longing.

   Though it have the pique, and long, 'Tis still for something in the wrong.
   --Hudibras.

3. (Card Playing) In piquet, the right of the elder hand to count thirty in hand, or to play before the adversary counts one.

   Syn: Displeasure; irritation; grudge; spite.

   Usage: Pique, Spite, Grudge. Pique denotes a quick and often transient sense of resentment for some supposed neglect or injury, but it is not marked by malevolence. Spite is a stronger term, denoting settled ill will or malice, with a desire to injure, as the result of extreme irritation. Grudge goes still further, denoting cherished and secret enmity, with an unforgiving spirit. A pique is usually of recent date; a grudge is that which has long subsisted; spite implies a disposition to cross or vex others.

Pique \Pique\, v. i. To cause annoyance or irritation. ``Every verse hath something in it that piques.''
--Tatler.

"to excite to anger," 1670s, from French piquer "to prick, sting" (see pike (n.2)). Softened meaning "to stimulate, excite" is from 1690s. Related: Piqued; piquing.

1530s, "fit of ill feeling," from Middle French pique "a prick, sting, irritation," noun of action from piquer (see pike (n.2)).

n. A kind of ribbed or corded fabric.

Etymology 1 n. 1 A feeling of enmity between two entities; ill-feeling, animosity; a transient feeling of wounded pride. 2 A feeling of irritation or resentment, awakened by a social slight or injury; offence, especially taken in an emotional sense with little thought or consideration. 3 (context obsolete English) Keenly felt desire; a longing. vb. 1 (context transitive English) To wound the pride of; to sting; to nettle; to irritate; to fret; to excite to anger. 2 (context reflexive English) To take pride (term in English); to pride oneself (term on English). 3 (context transitive English) To excite (someone) to action by causing resentment or jealousy; to stimulate (a feeling, emotion); to offend by slighting. Etymology 2

n. In piquet, the right of the elder hand to count thirty in hand, or to play before the adversary counts one. Etymology 3

n. A chigger or jigger, ''Tunga penetrans''. Etymology 4

n. A durable ribbed fabric made from cotton, rayon, or silk.

1. n. tightly woven fabric with raised cords

2. a sudden outburst of anger; "his temper sparked like damp firewood" [syn: temper, irritation]

v. cause to feel resentment or indignation; "Her tactless remark offended me" [syn: offend]

Pique or piqué may refer to:

The Pique is a 33 km long river in southern France, left tributary of the Garonne. Its source is in the Pyrenees, on the north side of the Port de Venasque mountain pass. It flows generally northward, entirely within the Haute-Garonne département. It passes through the resort town Bagnères-de-Luchon and Cierp-Gaud. It flows into the Garonne in Chaum.

As a surname, Piqué may refer to:

• Gerard Piqué (born 1987), Spanish footballer
• Josep Piqué i Camps (born 1955), Spanish politician and businessman
• Lorenzo Piqué (born 1990), Dutch footballer
• Marco Piqué (born 1980), Dutch-Surinamese kickboxer
• Mitchell Piqué (born 1979), Dutch footballer

Piqué, or marcella, refers to a weaving style, normally used with cotton yarn, which is characterized by raised parallel cords or fine ribbing. Twilled cotton and corded cotton are close relatives.

The weave is closely associated with white tie, and some accounts even say the fabric was invented specifically for this use. It holds more starch than plain fabric, so produces a stiffer shirt front. Marcella shirts then replaced earlier plain fronts, which remain a valid alternative. Marcella's use then spread to other parts of the dress code and it is now the most common fabric used in the tie and waistcoat of white tie. A knit fabric with a similar texture is used in polo shirts.

Marcella weaving was developed by the Lancashire cotton industry in the late 18th century as a mechanised technique of weaving double cloth with an enclosed heavy cording weft. It was originally used to make imitations of the corded Provençal quilts made in Marseille, the manufacture of which became an important industry for Lancashire from the late 18th to the early 20th century. The term "marcella" is one of a number of variations on the word "Marseille".

Pique fabrics are a type of dobby construction. Piques may be constructed in various patterns such as cord, waffle, honeycomb and birdseye piques. These fabrics require the addition of extra yarns, called stuffer yarns. These stuffer yarns are incorporated into the back of the fabric to give texture and added depth to the fabric design. Some piques may be made using the Jacquard attachment on the loom. Although made of 100% cotton today, cotton- silk blends and even pure silk versions were made in the past and in a variety of weaves.

Pique is an 1875 play produced by Augustin Daly, which had a very successful run of 237 consecutive performances in New York at the Fifth Avenue Theatre.

It was based in part on the Florence Marryat novel Her Lord and Master. It debuted on December 14, 1875, and was withdrawn after Saturday, July 29, 1876. It ran in at least two versions in London and also was produced on tour.

The original cast included Maurice Barrymore, where he met his future wife Georgiana Drew.

Though the play was a success, critical response varied from "highly laudatory puff pieces to accusations of excessive sentiment and irritating sensationalism."