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DELICATE
delicate
(adjective) exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury; “a delicate violin passage”; “delicate china”; “a delicate flavor”; “the delicate wing of a butterfly”
delicate, fragile, frail
(adjective) easily broken or damaged or destroyed; “a kite too delicate to fly safely”; “fragile porcelain plates”; “fragile old bones”; “a frail craft”
delicate, ticklish, touchy
(adjective) difficult to handle; requiring great tact; “delicate negotiations with the big powers”; “hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter”; “a touchy subject”
finespun, delicate
(adjective) developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety; “the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense”
delicate
(adjective) of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely; “almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments”
delicate
(adjective) marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique; “a surgeon’s delicate touch”
delicate, soft
(adjective) easily hurt; “soft hands”; “a baby’s delicate skin”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
delicate (comparative more delicate, superlative most delicate)
Easily damaged or requiring careful handling.
Characterized by a fine structure or thin lines.
Intended for use with fragile items.
Refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; said of manners, conduct, or feelings.
Of weak health; easily sick; unable to endure hardship.
(informal) Unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol.
(obsolete) Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring.
Pleasing to the senses; refined; adapted to please an elegant or cultivated taste.
Slight and shapely; lovely; graceful.
Light, or softly tinted; said of a colour.
Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.
Highly discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite.
Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes.
Synonyms
• (easily damaged): fragile
Noun
delicate (plural delicates)
A delicate item of clothing, especially underwear or lingerie.
(obsolete) A choice dainty; a delicacy.
(obsolete) A delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person.
Source: Wiktionary
Del"i*cate, a. Etym: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. délicat. See Delight.]
1. Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring. [R.] Dives, for his delicate life, to the devil went. Piers Plowman. Haarlem is a very delicate town. Evelyn.
2. Pleasing to the senses; refinedly; hence, adapted to please a nice or cultivated taste; nice; fine; elegant; as, a delicate dish; delicate flavor.
3. Slight and shapely; lovely; graceful; as, "a delicate creature." Shak.
4. Fine or slender; minute; not coarse; -- said of a thread, or the like; as, delicate cotton.
5. Slight or smooth; light and yielding; -- said of texture; as, delicate lace or silk.
6. Soft and fair; -- said of the skin or a surface; as, a delicate cheek; a delicate complexion.
7. Light, or softly tinted; -- said of a color; as; as, a delicate blue.
8. Refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; -- said of manners, conduct, or feelings; as, delicate behavior; delicate attentions; delicate thoughtfulness.
9. Tender; not able to endure hardship; feeble; frail; effeminate; -- said of constitution, health, etc.; as, a delicate child; delicate health. A delicate and tender prince. Shak.
10. Requiring careful handling; not to be rudely or hastily dealt with; nice; critical; as, a delicate subject or question. There are some things too delicate and too sacred to be handled rudely without injury to truth. F. W. Robertson.
11. Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.
12. Nicely discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite; as, a delicate taste; a delicate ear for music.
13. Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes; as, a delicate thermometer.
Del"i*cate, n.
1. A choice dainty; a delicacy. [R.] With abstinence all delicates he sees. Dryden.
2. A delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person. All the vessels, then, which our delicates have, -- those I mean that would seem to be more fine in their houses than their neighbors, -- are only of the Corinth metal. Holland.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
23 November 2024
THEORETICAL
(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”
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