adj.
- having great value.
- greatly loved or treasured by someone.
- informal, chiefly ironic considerable:
a precious lot you know!
- derogatory affectedly concerned with elegant or refined language or manners.
n.
a term of address to a beloved person.
Phrase
- precious little
(or few)
informal extremely little (or few).
Derivative
- preciously adv.
- preciousness n.
Etymology
ME: from OFr. precios, from L. pretiosus ‘of great value’, from pretium ‘price’.