Etymograph

English

mainpiece

From main + piece.

A compound of main + piece

Middle English mayn

English main

Late Latin pettia ‘fragment’

Old French piece

Middle English pece ‘piece’

English piece

Today it means

noun The primary play or other work performed at an evening's entertainment at the theatre, as opposed to smaller introductory or additional works.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / mainpiece