pièce de résistance

American  

[pyes duh rey-zee-stahns, pee-es duh ri-zee-stahns] / pyɛs də reɪ ziˈstɑ̃s, piˈɛs də rɪ ziˈstɑns /

noun

French.

PLURAL

pièces de résistance

1. the principal dish of a meal.

2. the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction.

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pièce de résistance British  

/ pjɛs də rezistɑ̃s /

noun

1. the principal or most outstanding item in a series or creative artist's work

2. the main dish of a meal

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Etymology

Origin of pièce de résistance

First recorded in 1780–90; from French: literally, “piece of resistance”; development of senses is unclear

Example Sentences

The resulting set, in many ways, is the production’s pièce de résistance.

From Los Angeles Times

But the pièce de résistance of her spooky spread?

From Salon

But its pièce de résistance for Roffman was Caselotti herself, who was home that afternoon and happy to entertain strangers with her cherubic singsong cadence.

From Salon

Welcome to Earth One, the piece de resistance at CalEarth, an educational campus and nonprofit organization in Hesperia that, for the last three decades, has championed a building style known as the SuperAdobe.

From Los Angeles Times

And for the piece de resistance after going on and on for years about America First and not wanting to get involved in "forever wars", he just suggested sending U.S. troops into the most fraught forever war on the planet.

From Salon