# piecemeal

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈpiːs.miːl/ · frequency rank #36,282

## Definitions
1. Made or done in pieces or one stage at a time.

## Etymology
From Middle English pecemele, from pece (“piece”) + mele (from Old English mǣlum (“at a time”), dative plural form of mǣl (“time, measure”), taking the place of Old English styċċemǣlum (“in pieces, bit by bit, piecemeal; to pieces, to bits; here and there, in different places; little by little, by degrees, gradually”); equivalent to piece + -meal.

## Common misspellings (12)
`ipecemeal`, `peicemeal`, `piceemeal`, `pieccemeal`, `pieceemal`, `piecemael`, `piecemeall`, `piecemela`, `piecemmeal`, `piecmeeal`, `pieecmeal`, `ppiecemeal`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/piecemeal