The word "piqued" is pronounced /piːkt/ and is spelled with a "qu" instead of a "ck". This is because the word is derived from the French word "piquer" which means "to prick" or "to sting". The spelling with a "qu" reflects the French spelling convention which uses "qu" to represent the sound /k/ before a front vowel or i, as in "piquer". In English, "piqued" can mean to stimulate or arouse someone's interest or curiosity, as in "The mystery of the missing treasure piqued our curiosity".
The term "piqued" can be used as both an adjective and a verb. As an adjective, "piqued" describes someone or something that has been stimulated or aroused, often in a sense of interest, curiosity, or excitement. For example, if someone's curiosity is piqued, it means that they have become intrigued or interested in something. Similarly, if someone's interest is piqued, it signifies that their curiosity or attention has been aroused.
As a verb, "piqued" refers to the act of arousing or stimulating someone's interest, curiosity, or excitement. It implies inciting someone to feel intrigued, captivated, or to take action in response to something that has caught their attention. For instance, a surprising piece of news or an intriguing story might pique someone's interest, thereby prompting them to inquire further or seek more information.
The term "piqued" is often associated with a sense of being pricked or stimulated, suggesting the idea of a slight reaction that elicits curiosity or interest. While it can also be used in a negative sense, such as feeling piqued by an insult or criticism, it more commonly indicates a positive or curious response to something. Overall, "piqued" is used to describe the state of being stimulated, intrigued, or captivated by someone or something, or the action of arousing such feelings in others.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "piqued" comes from the Middle English word "piken" or "pyken", which means "to prick" or "to sting" in Old English. It eventually evolved into the word "pique" and gained the connotation of stimulating or provoking someone's interest or curiosity. The word "piqued" is the past tense and past participle form of "pique" and is commonly used to describe a feeling of interest or excitement.