nonpareil

== English == === Etymology === From Late Middle English non-parail (“unparalleled, nonpareil”) [and other forms], from Middle French nonpareille, nonpareil (“unparalleled”) (obsolete), from non- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + pareil (“alike, like, same”). Pareil is derived from Old French pareil, from Late Latin pāriculus (“equal; like; of a number: even”), from Latin pār (“equal; like; of a number: even; suitable”) + -culus (a variant of -ulus (suffix forming diminutives)). Doublet of umpire. Noun sense 4 (size of type standardized at 6-point) is usually taken to derive from the attractive type cut by the brothers Giovanni and Gregorio De Gregori (fl. 1482–1503 and 1496–1527 respectively) for their 1498 edition of the divine offices in Venice; it was for a long time the smallest-sized type in use. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /nɒnpəˈɹeɪ(l)/, /nɒm-/, /ˈnɒnpəɹ(ə)l/, /ˈnɒnpɹ(ə)l/, /ˈnɒm-/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˌnɑnpəˈɹɛl/ Rhymes: -eɪ, -eɪl, -ɛl Hyphenation: non‧par‧eil === Adjective === nonpareil (comparative more nonpareil, superlative most nonpareil) (frequently postpositive) Unequalled, unrivalled; unique. [from 15th c.] Synonyms: see Thesaurus:unique Antonyms: see Thesaurus:common ==== Alternative forms ==== non-pareil ==== Related terms ==== umpire ==== Translations ==== === Noun === nonpareil (countable and uncountable, plural nonpareils) (countable) A person or thing that has no equal; a paragon. [from 16th c.] (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: an eastern rosella, of species Platycercus eximius, a rosella (parrot) native to southeastern Australia. (chiefly US) A painted bunting (Passerina ciris), a brightly-coloured finch native to North America. (archaic) In full nonpareil apple: an 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. Synonyms: (Australia, Britain, plural only) hundreds and thousands, (US) sprinkles (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) A 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. Synonym: (in European contexts) nonpareille ==== Alternative forms ==== non-pareil nonparella, nonpareillo (quasi-Italian, obsolete, chiefly 17th–18th c.) ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === nonpareils on Wikipedia.Wikipedia nonpareil (apple) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia nonpareil (typography) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia nonpareil (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Catocala fraxini on Wikispecies.Wikispecies Passerina ciris on Wikispecies.Wikispecies Platycercus eximius on Wikispecies.Wikispecies === Anagrams === plane iron == French == === Adjective === nonpareil (feminine nonpareile, masculine plural nonpareils, feminine plural nonpareiles) (archaic) unequalled === Further reading === “nonpareil”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Middle French == === Alternative forms === nompareil === Adjective === nonpareil m (feminine singular nonpareille, masculine plural nonpareils, feminine plural nonpareilles) unparallelled; unprecedented == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French nonpareille. === Noun === nonpareil n (uncountable) nonpareil ==== Declension ====