1. By a small amount at a time; in stages: articles acquired piecemeal.2. In pieces; apart.
ADJECTIVE:
Accomplished or made in stages.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English pecemeale : pece, piece; see piece + -mele, by a fixed measure (from Old English -mlum, at a time, from dative pl. of ml, appointed time; see m-2 in Appendix I).
p
s
m
lum, at a time, from dative pl. of m
