Wiktionary:Word of the day/2021/March 12

edit · refresh · view Word of the day for March 12

nonpareil adj

(frequently postpositive) Unequalled, unrivalled; unique. nonpareil n (countable) A person or thing that has no equal; a paragon. (countable, biology) The blue underwing or Clifden nonpareil (Catocala fraxini), a species of moth distributed across the Palearctic; also (obsolete) any of a number of moths of other species. (chiefly Australia, archaic) In full nonpareil parrot: the eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius), a species of rosella (parrot) native to southeastern Australia. (chiefly US) The painted bunting (Passerina ciris), a brightly-coloured finch native to North America. (archaic) In full nonpareil apple: a variety of apple tasting both sweet and tart which ripens very late in the season; also, the tree producing this fruit. (countable, chiefly US, cooking) (archaic) Any of various types of small sweets. (by extension, dated) A small pellet of white or coloured sugar used as decoration on baked goods and candy. (by extension) A small, flat chocolate drop covered with such pellets of sugar, similar to a comfit. (by extension) A caper (“pickled edible flower bud”) of the smallest size. (uncountable, typography, chiefly historical) The size of type between ruby and emerald (or, in the United States, between agate and minion), standardized as 6-point; (countable) a slug of this size.

← yesterday | About Word of the Day • Nominate a word • Leave feedback | tomorrow →