Piquant

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈpiːkənt/

Definitions

1. having an appealingly sharp taste or a charmingly provocative quality that stimulates interest
2. possessing an agreeably tangy flavor or intriguingly engaging character that captures attention
3. Characterized by a lively and spicy flavor that excites the palate ; marked by an engaging or provocative nature that attracts interest

Etymology: Before it described a sauce or a witty remark, "piquant" meant something painful: to prick or sting. It comes from Middle French "piquant", the present participle of "piquer", meaning "to prick, sting, irritate", and that verb is likely from Old French "pikier", "to prick, sting, nettle". The same root sits behind the English word "pike", the sharp-pointed weapon, so the core idea is a point driving into the skin. The English sense moved from physical sting to sharp taste. A flavour that pricks the tongue is piquant, and from there the word slid easily into the figurative: a conversation, a detail, or a face that stings the mind with interest rather than hurt. The meaning stayed close to its origin, only the sharpness moved from the skin to the senses and then to the imagination. "Piquant" has a close relative in "picong", a doublet, meaning a sharp, teasing taunt, which came into English from Spanish. Both words descend from the same ancient pricking image, but they reached English by different routes and took on different lives.

Synonyms: spicy, tangy, zesty, flavorful, savory

Antonyms: bland, tasteless, insipid