Meaning

adjective characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for

adjective of high worth or cost

adjective held in great esteem for admirable qualities especially of an intrinsic nature

originInherited from Middle English precious, borrowed from Old French precios (“valuable, costly, precious, beloved, also affected, finical”), from Latin pretiōsus (“of great value, costly, dear, precious”), from pretium (“value, price”); see price.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0