precious: Meaning and Definition of

pre•cious

Pronunciation: (presh'us), [key]
— adj.
  1. of high price or great value; very valuable or costly: precious metals.
  2. highly esteemed for some spiritual, nonmaterial, or moral quality: precious memories.
  3. dear; beloved: a precious child.
  4. affectedly or excessively delicate, refined, or nice: precious manners.
  5. flagrant; gross: a precious fool.
—n.
  1. a dearly beloved person; darling.
—adv.
  1. extremely; very: She wastes precious little time.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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