delicacy 
1516 
delight 
We had a most delicious journey to Marseilles, thro' a 
True delicacy . . . exhibits itself most significantly in deft! as, a delicate touch; a delicate performer ^Twee'teFdeciiniiig "to the" south and Mediterra- 
ists. Evelyn, Diary, Oct. 7, 1644. 
little tilings. 
Mary llowitt. or performance. 
I do but say what she is : So delicate with her needle ! 
Shak., Othello, iv. 1. 
10. Sensitive reluctance; modest or consider- 
ate hesitation; timidity or diffidence due to 
refined feeling: as, I feel a great delicacy in g_ N j oe j n f orm s; regulated by minute observ- 
approachiug such a subject. anee O f propriety, or by attention^ the opin- 
And day by day she thought to tell Geraint, 
But could not out ol bashful delicacy. 
nian coast 
What so delicious as a just and firm encounter of two, 
in a thought, in a feeling? Emerson, Friendship. 
Were not his words delicious, I a beast 
To take them as I did? but something jarr'd. 
Tennyson, Edwin Morris. 
ions and feelings of others; refined: as, delicate 
behavior or manners; a delicate address. 9. 3f. Delicate; luxurious; dainty; addicted to 
Susceptible to disease or injury; of a tender or seeking pleasure. 
11. Tenderness, as of the constitution; sus- cons t,itution ; feeble; not able to endure hard- others, of a more deliciaus and airy spirit, retire them- 
ceptibility to disease ; physical sensitiveness. ^ . aS; a fcUcate frame or constitution ; deli- selves to the enjoyment of ease and luxury. 
An air of robustness and strength is very prejudicial^to ca f e health. 10. Nice in perception of what is =Syn. Delicious, Delightful, luscious, savory. Delicious 
beauty. An appearance of delicaci/, and even of fragility, 
is almost essential to it. Burke, Sublime and Beautiful. -o-- __,, "thoir 
, . . . . j , liarly sensitive to beauty, harmony, or their 
opposites; dainty; fastidious: as, a delicate 
J. T. Trowbi'idge, Coupon Bonds, p. 376, 
12f. The quality of being addicted to pleasure ; 
voluptuousness of life ; luxuriousness. 
Of the seconde glotonie 
Which cleped is delicacie, 
Wherof ye spake here to fore, 
Beseche I wolde you therefore. 
. , , 
_ p - Bh i. tn jr.- RPne .p S O r the intellect' D6CU- is highly agreeable to some sense, generally that of taste, 
agreeabll r tne ] 3OI , pewu- 8om * tj ^ es that of smell or of hearlng . 
taste ; a delicate eye for color. 
His familiarity with the customs, manners, actions, and 
writings of the ancient, makes him a very delicate observer 
of what occurs to him in the present world. 
Steele, Spectator, No. 2. 
. 
Gower, Conf. Amant., VI. 
13f. Pleasure ; a diversion ; a luxury. 
He Koine breute for his delicacie. 
Chaucer, Monk's Tale, 1 489. 
Our delicacies are grown capital, 
And even our sports are dangers. 
B. Jonson, To a Friend. 
=Syn. 2. Daintiness, savorincss. 3. Delicacy, Dainty, 
Tidbit. A delicacy is specifically something very choice lor 
eating ; it may be cooked, dressed, or in the natural state : 
It is capable of pleasing the most delicate Reader, with- 
out giving Offence to the most scrupulous. 
Addison, Spectator, No. 26. 
Delightful is 
agreeable to the mind; it is always supersensuous, 
except perhaps as sight or hearing is sometimes the im- 
mediate means to high mental pleasure. Delicious food, 
odors, music; delightful thoughts, hopes, anticipations, 
news. 
O faint, delicious spring-time violet. 
W. W. Story, The Violet. 
What is there in the vale of life 
Half so delightful as a wile? 
Coutpcr, Love Abused. 
Even the phrase "delicious music " implies the predomi- 
_ . EjVeil l/lle UIll <*3C uctumtm 111U*>* I.ll^l.^v v.i~ ,*.*..- 
lit. Full of pleasure ; luxurious; sumptuous; nance of the sensuous element ill the pleasures of song. 
delightful. 
Dives lor his delicate life to the devil went. 
Piers Plowman. 
And comprehending goodly Groves of Cypresses inter 
mixed with plaines, delicate gard ---<" < ---- *'" 
all variety of fruit-trees, and wli 
Haarlem is a very delicate town. 
as, his table was abundantly supplied with all the delica- = gyn. 1. Pleasant, delicious, palatable, savory. 8. Fas- 
nine, nf tha -...I^..IL tllo BntlAMU) nf UM lck 111:111 ball T.O llfi i:.J:_ j; n ..*:~~ ^ft Q .... ni ,- ..n 
tidious, discriminating.- 10. Sensitive 
Il.t 1. Something savory, luscious, or de- 
cies of the season ; the appetite of the sick man had to be 
coaxed with delicacies. Dainty is a stronger word, indi- 
cating something even more choice. A tidbit is a par- - 
ticularly choice or delicious morsel, a small quantity taken licious; a df icacy, a dainty. 
from a larger on account of its excellence. 
delicate (del'i-kat), a. and . [< ME. delicate, 
A. Phelps, Eng. Style, p. 362. 
Delightful task I to rear the tender thought, 
To teach the young idea how to shoot. 
Thomson, Spring, 1. 1149. 
dens, artificial! ! fountains, deliciously (de-lish'us-li), adv. In a delicious 
lat not rare. manner; in a' manner to please the taste or 
Sandys, Travailes, p. 25. ^.^ ihe mind; gwMtty K daintily; delight- 
fully; luxuriously. 
How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deli- 
ciously, so much torment and sorrow give her. 
Rev. xviii. 7. 
deliciousness (de-lish'us-nes), n. 1. The quak 
Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon . . . hath tilled j tv of k e i ng delicious or very grateful to the 
his belly with my delicates. 
Jer. Ii. 34. 
delicat, < OF. delieat, F. eUlieat = Pr. delicat = -Tis an excellent thing to be a prince ; he is served with ! " I;;,,; ,' of a sonnet 
Sp Pff delicado = It. delicato (cf. ME. delie,< OF. such admirable variety of fare, such innumerable choice 
delie, delje, delgie, delge, deuge, the vernacular of delicate*. Beau, and Fl., Woman-Hater, i. 2. 
form, = Pr. delguat = Sp. Pg. delgado, fine, 2. A fastidious person. 
^ ^^^ of a repast . 
The rules among these false delicates are to be as coiv 
slender), < L. delicatus, giving pleasure, de- 
lightful, soft, luxurious, delicate, ML. also fine, tradictory as they can be to nature, 
slender, < delicia, usually in pi. delicice, plea- delicately (del'i-kat-li), adv. In a 
sure, delight, luxury, < delieere, allure, < de, manner, in any sense of that word. 
away, + lacere, allure, entice. From the same 
source are delicious, delectable, and delight, q. v.] 
I. a. 1. Pleasing to any of the senses, espe- 
cially to the sense of taste; dainty; delicious: 
opposed to coarse or rough. 
The sweetest honey 
Is loathsome in his own deliciousness. 
Shak., R. and J., ii. 6. 
Tatler. 2f. That which is delicious; delicacies; lux- 
delicate uries ! dainties. 
The East sends hither her deliciousness. 
Donne, Thomas Coryat. 
Drynk nat ouer delicatliche, ne to depe neither. TT,rliil<>T.n in dolinnpipa- liivnrv 
Piers Plowman (C), vii. 166. of- indulgence m I 
To drive away all superfluity and delicioiisness, ... he 
made another, third, law lor eating and drinking. 
North, tr. of Plutarch. 
They which . . . live delicately are in kings' courts. 
Luke vii. 25. 
Cer. Wrench it open ; 
Soft ! it smells most sweetly in my sense. 
2d Gent. A delicate odour. Shak. , Pericles, iii. 2. 
The choosing of a delicate before a more ordinary dish 
is to be done . . . prudently. 
There is nothing so delicately turned in all the Roman 
language. Dryden. delict (de-likf), n. [= F. dellt = Sp. dehcto, 
Fine by defect, and delicately weak. *>- ->->-- J-J.-4-. Ti j7.-^ / T ,? 
delito = Pg. delicto, delito = It. detttto, < L. de- 
Pope, Moral Essays, n. 43. Uet a fault) offe nse, crime, prop. neut. pp. 
Moves him to think what kind ol bird it is f tf e n n( < uere f a ;i be wanting, commit a fault, 
That S '"S S so Mlcatelv clear ' re "' lj """'' Geramt offend, (de + Unquere, leave ; cf. delinquent.] 
Jer. Taylor, Holy Living, ii. 2. delicateness (del'i-kat-nes), n. The state of A transgression; an offense; specifically, in 
2. Agreeable; delightful; charming. being delicate; tenderness; softness; effemi- civil and Scots toWj a misdemeanor. Delicts are 
nacy. commonly understood as slighter offenses which do not 
u^ .uu..* .u v..= T.*.. The tender and delicate woman among you, which immediately affect the public peace, but which imply an 
Shelley, Prometheus Unbound, ii. 2. would not adventure to set the sole ol her foot upon the obligation on the part ol the offender to make an atone- 
*" 3 ..__!! m .....,, i tf* +liii nuKlin Kir cufftii'nicr Tmiiishll it'Mf ftTUI MM! T.( 
Canst thou imagine where those spirits live 
Which make such delicate music in the woods? 
3. Fine in characteristic details ; minutely per- 
wuuiu. nut iuivciimic Mf oci/ MIC ai/ic wi uti iwu H^n/u w o -- - r , - . . , . , . . 
ground for delicateness and tenderness. Deut. xxviii. 56. ment to the public by suffering punishment and also to 
make reparation lor the injury committed. Ihe term de- 
fe'ct in kind; exquisite in form, proportions, delicatesset (del-i-ka-tes'), . [< F. delicatesse, Unquency has the same signification. 
A i. _ AI, _ !:!_. . f tl& Ii ffii Halioata aao dpli.pn.tf> ~\ T>Alipa.p.v : ta.p.t. ! ._ -;*! i__ii 
finish, texture, manner, or the "like; nice; < delicat, delicate: see delicate.] Delicacy ; tact ; 
dainty; charming: as, a delicate being ; a deli- address. 
cate skin or fabric ; delicate tints 
That we can call these delicate creatures purs, 
And not their appetites. 
All which required abundance ol finesse and delicatesse 
to manage with advantage. Swift, Tale of a Tub, ii. 
The supreme power either hath not power sufficient to 
punish the delinquent, or may miss to have notice ol the 
delict. Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), I. 208. 
Every regulation of the civil code necessarily implies a 
'-* '- " * ol its violation. Jeffrey. 
To me thou art a pure, ideal fl< 
So delicate that mortal touch might mar. 
0tnel?o, m . 3. d elicet, n. [< ME. delice, pi. delices, < OF. de- /f< in *e -ent ol it Jeffrey. 
lower lices, F. delices, pi.. = Sp. Pg. delicia = It. de- deliet, a.- [ME. delie (three syllables), < OF. 
might mar. ligia, < L. delicia;, ace. delicias, pi., pleasure, delie, delje, delgie, F. delie, fine, slender, = Pr. 
Jones Very, Poems, p. 94. delight: see delicate.] A delight; a dainty; delguat = Sp. Pg. delgado, < L. delicatus, deli- 
cate, etc., in ML. also fine, slender: see delicate.] 
Thin; slender; delicate. 
something delicately pleasing. 
Quod man to Conscience, " jouthe axith delice ; 
For Kouthe the course ol kinde [nature] wole holde." 
Hymns to Virgin, etc. (E. E. T. S.), p. 66. 
And the lily she dropped as she went is yet white, 
With the dew on its delicate sheath. 
Owen Meredith, The Storm. 
The delicate gradation ol curves that melt into each 
other by insensible transitions. J. Caird. 
Lagoons and lagoon-channels are filled up by the growth 
ol the delicate corals which live there. 
Darwin, Coral Reefs, p. 151. 
4. Of a fine or refined constitution ; refined. 
Thou wast a spirit too delicate 
earthy and abhorr'd comn^ids.^^ . 2 flights ; feast ; revel ; delight one's self. 
5. Nice in construction or operation; exqui- tn 
sitely adjusted or adapted ; minutely accurate 
or suitable: as, a delicate piece of mechanism; 
a delicate balance or spring. 6. Requiring 
nicety in action; to be approached or per- 
formed with caution ; precarious; ticklish: as, 
a delicate surgical operation; a delicate topic of 
conversation. 
Hyr clothes weren maked ol riht delve thredes. 
Chaucer, Boethius, i. prose 1. 
> 
* 
S delight (de-lit'), t-. [A wrong spelling, in imi- 
r< ME delicious < tation of words like light, might, etc.; the ana- 
-pf delie os-Sv logical mod. spelling would be delite, < ME. 
" L deliciosm de- *$**, delyten < OF. deleiter, deliter = Pr. de- 
'M. ?ector L Sp. deleitar, delectar = Pg. deleitar = 
emost It. delcttare, dilettare, < L. delectare, delight, 
e, m 
And if I may mention so delicate a subject, endeavour i m( , O j;. r . /M,>; O MS' fruit or wine 
' m - 
. , 
j f i;.. f nlliirp- SPP delicate de- 
sweet or grateful to the senses; affording ex- please, treq. ol aeltcere, allure, set 
quisite pleasure : as, a delicious viand ; a deli- lectable, delmous.] I. trans. To affect with 
, 
to check that little something, bordering on conceit and 
impertinence, which your lady possesses. 
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, p. 44. 
No doubt slavery was the most delicate and embarrass- 
ing question with which Mr. Lincoln was called on to 
deal. Lowell, Study Windows, p. 166. 
, . . 
great pleasure or rapture ; please highly ; give 
She [Venice] ministred unto me more variety of remark- " r afford a hi g h . dee , e . 
one i ejiiuej iiiiiiiM-icu UMLU me inure vitneiy 01 leinai i\- -' , .< i i ji 
able and delicious objects than mine eyes ever surveyed in ment to : as, a beautiful landscape 
any citie before. Coryat, Crudities, 1. 199. eye; harmony delights the ear; poetry delights 
That is a bitter sweetness which is only delicious to the the mind. 
palate, and to the stomach deadly. Ford, Line of Life. 
7. Nice in perception or action; exquisitely 2. Most pleasing to the mind; yielding exqui- 
acute or dexterous ; finely sensitive or exact ; site delight ; delightful. 
I will delight mysell in thy statutes. Ps. cxix. 16. 
To me, what is this quintessence of dust ? Man delights 
not me, no, nor woman either. 
Shah., Hamlet, ii. 2. 
