just nine a-piece
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Albumazar, iii. 5. Poole in his English Parnassus (about 1650) called the four elements Nature's first mourni- val.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “just nine a-piece” mean?
Albumazar, iii. 5. Poole in his English Parnassus (about 1650) called the four elements Nature's first mourni- val.
Is “just nine a-piece” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.