piquant
/ˈpiːkənt/ adjective
Forms piquante
- adjective (archaic) Causing hurt feelings; scathing, severe.
- adjective Stimulating to the senses; engaging; charming.
- adjective Favorably stimulating to the palate; pleasantly spicy; tangy.
- adjective Producing a burning sensation due to the presence of chilies or similar spices; spicy, hot.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French piquant (“pricking, stimulating, irritating”), present participle of piquer, possibly from Old French pikier (“to prick, sting, nettle”). Doublet of picong. Related to pike.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Stimulating to the taste; giving zest; tart; sharp; pungent; as, a piquant anecdote. "As piquant to the tongue as salt." Addison.
Etymology [F., p.pr. of piquer to prick or sting. See Pike.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “piquant”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details