piecemeal

(pēs'mēl')
adv.

1. By a small amount at a time; in stages: articles acquired piecemeal.
2. In pieces; apart.

adj.
Accomplished or made in stages.

[Middle English pecemeale : pece, piece; see piece + -mele, by a fixed measure (from Old English -mǣlum, at a time, from dative pl. of mǣl, appointed time).]

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adjective

Proceeding very slowly by degrees: gradational, gradual, step-by-step. See fast/slow/velocity.

adv, adj

Definition: bit by bit
Antonyms: all, completely, totally, wholly

adj. & adv. characterized by unsystematic partial measures taken over a period of time: the village is slowly being killed off by piecemeal development

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

Patchy, e.g. necrosis of the liver in which groups of hepatocytes are separated by small groups of inflammatory cells and fine, fibrous septa following extension of the inflammatory process beyond the limiting plate.

For a list of words related to piecemeal, see:

• Limitations and Conditions

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See words rhyming with "piecemeal."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Piecemeal.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - stykkevis
adv. - stykke for stykke

Nederlands (Dutch)
geleidelijk, halfbakken

Français (French)
adj. - fragmentaire, décousu, irrégulier
adv. - petit à petit, par à coups

Deutsch (German)
adv. - stückweise
adj. - allmählich

Ελληνική (Greek)
adv. - με το κομμάτι, σε κομμάτια, κομματιαστά

Italiano (Italian)
a poco a poco

Português (Portuguese)
adv. - pouco a pouco, gradativamente

Русский (Russian)
фрагментарно, бессвязно

Español (Spanish)
adj. - poco a poco, por partes
adv. - poco a poco, por partes

Svenska (Swedish)
adv. - styckevis, bit för bit, i stycken

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
一片一片的, 逐渐的, 一件件地, 逐个地, 零碎地, 逐渐地, 成碎片地

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 一片一片的, 逐漸的
adv. - 一件件地, 逐個地, 零碎地, 逐漸地, 成碎片地

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 단편적인
adv. - 조금씩, 조각조각으로

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 少しずつの, 断片的な
adv. - 少しずつ, ばらばらに
n. - 少し

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(ظرف) على أجزاء متفرقه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮חלקי, הדרגתי, לא-שיטתי‬
adv. - ‮חלק-חלק, בהדרגה‬

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