Definition of NONPAREIL

nonpareil

Meanings

Plural: nonpareils

Noun

  • model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
  • colored beads of sugar used as a topping on e.g. candies and cookies
  • a flat disk of chocolate covered with beads of colored sugar
  • A person or thing that has no equal; a paragon.
  • 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.
  • In full nonpareil parrot: an eastern rosella, of species Platycercus eximius, a rosella (parrot) native to southeastern Australia.
  • A painted bunting (Passerina ciris), a brightly-coloured finch native to North America.
  • In full nonpareil apple: an apple tasting both sweet and tart which ripens very late in the season; also, the tree producing this fruit.
  • Any of various types of small sweets.
  • A small pellet of white or coloured sugar used as decoration on baked goods and candy.
  • A small, flat chocolate drop covered with such pellets of sugar, similar to a comfit.
  • A caper (“pickled edible flower bud”) of the smallest size.
  • 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.

Adjective Satellite

  • eminent beyond or above comparison
    • "the team's nonpareil center fielder"

Adj

  • Unequalled, unrivalled; unique.

Origin / 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.

Scrabble Score: 11

nonpareil is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
nonpareil is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
nonpareil is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

nonpareil is a valid Words With Friends word