picayune

[ pik-ee-yoon, pik-uh- ]
/ ˌpɪk iˈyun, ˌpɪk ə- /

adjective Also pic·a·yun·ish. Informal.

of little value or account; small; trifling: a picayune amount.
petty, carping, or prejudiced: I didn't want to seem picayune by criticizing.

noun

(formerly, in Louisiana, Florida, etc.) a coin equal to half a Spanish real.
any small coin, as a five-cent piece.
Informal. an insignificant person or thing.

Origin of picayune

1780–90; < Provençal picaioun small copper coin (compare French picaillons), derivative of an onomatopoetic base *pikk- beat, here referring to the coining of coppers

SYNONYMS FOR picayune

1 trivial, insignificant.
2 narrow-minded.

OTHER WORDS FROM picayune

pic·a·yun·ish·ly, adverb pic·a·yun·ish·ness, noun

Words nearby picayune

picaresque, picaro, picaroon, picasso, picasso, pablo, picayune, piccadilly, piccadilly circus, piccalilli, piccanin, piccaninny

Example sentences from the Web for picayunish

  • I have become what I am, because to me the broad canvas alone is interesting, and picayunish prejudices are contemptible.

    Destiny |Charles Neville Buck

  • Mediocrity was in the saddle, and picayunish partisan politics held the center of the boards.

    The Hindered Hand |Sutton E. Griggs

  • Little she thought of Settlements or picayunish donations now.

    V. V.'s Eyes |Henry Sydnor Harrison

British Dictionary definitions for picayunish

picayune
/ (ˌpɪkəˈjuːn) /

adjective Also: picayunish US and Canadian informal

of small value or importance
mean; petty

noun

the half real, an old Spanish-American coin
US any coin of little value, esp a five-cent piece

Derived forms of picayune

picayunishly, adverb picayunishness, noun

Word Origin for picayune

C19: from French picaillon coin from Piedmont, from Provençal picaioun, of unknown origin