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
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.
• (easily damaged): fragile
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
20 April 2024
(adjective) of an electrical system that uses or generates two or more alternating voltages of the same frequency but differing in phase angle
According to Guinness World Records, the largest coffee press is 230 cm (7 ft 6 in) in height and 72 cm (2 ft 4 in) in diameter and was created by Salzillo Tea and Coffee (Spain) in Murcia, Spain, in February 2007. The cafetière consists of a stainless steel container, a filtering piston, and a superior lid.
