Words at Play : Food Words Worth Savoring
Definition:
1 : agreeably stimulating to the palate; especially: spicy
2 : engagingly provocative; also : having a lively arch charm
Examples:
"The emphasis is on comedy, but there's an undercurrent of piquant social commentary." Marty Clear, Tampa Bay Times, October 13, 2012
About the Word:
These days, piquant is a positive description whether it's applied to spicy food or provocative wit. It hasn't always been. Piquant once meant "disagreeably sharp; stinging; provocative; cutting." Its ancestor meant "to prick or sting."