Result from Foreign Dictionaries (3 entries found)

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Delicate \Del"i*cate\, n. 1. A choice dainty; a delicacy. [R.] [1913 Webster] With abstinence all delicates he sees. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. A delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person. [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Delicate \Del"i*cate\, a. [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. d['e]licat. See {Delight}.] 1. Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring. [R.] [1913 Webster] Dives, for his delicate life, to the devil went. --Piers Plowman. [1913 Webster] Haarlem is a very delicate town. --Evelyn. [1913 Webster] 2. Pleasing to the senses; refinedly agreeable; hence, adapted to please a nice or cultivated taste; nice; fine; elegant; as, a delicate dish; delicate flavor. [1913 Webster] 3. Slight and shapely; lovely; graceful; as, "a delicate creature." --Shak. [1913 Webster] 4. Fine or slender; minute; not coarse; -- said of a thread, or the like; as, delicate cotton. [1913 Webster] 5. Slight or smooth; light and yielding; -- said of texture; as, delicate lace or silk. [1913 Webster] 6. Soft and fair; -- said of the skin or a surface; as, a delicate cheek; a delicate complexion. [1913 Webster] 7. Light, or softly tinted; -- said of a color; as, a delicate blue. [1913 Webster] 8. Refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; -- said of manners, conduct, or feelings; as, delicate behavior; delicate attentions; delicate thoughtfulness. [1913 Webster] 9. Tender; not able to endure hardship; feeble; frail; effeminate; -- said of constitution, health, etc.; as, a delicate child; delicate health. [1913 Webster] A delicate and tender prince. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 10. Requiring careful handling; not to be rudely or hastily dealt with; nice; critical; as, a delicate subject or question. [1913 Webster] There are some things too delicate and too sacred to be handled rudely without injury to truth. --F. W. Robertson. [1913 Webster] 11. Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious. [1913 Webster] 12. Nicely discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite; as, a delicate taste; a delicate ear for music. [1913 Webster] 13. Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes; as, a delicate thermometer. [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: delicate adj 1: exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury; "a delicate violin passage"; "delicate china"; "a delicate flavor"; "the delicate wing of a butterfly" [ant: {rugged}] 2: marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique; "a surgeon's delicate touch" 3: easily broken or damaged or destroyed; "a kite too delicate to fly safely"; "fragile porcelain plates"; "fragile old bones"; "a frail craft" [syn: {delicate}, {fragile}, {frail}] 4: easily hurt; "soft hands"; "a baby's delicate skin" [syn: {delicate}, {soft}] 5: developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety; "the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense" [syn: {finespun}, {delicate}] 6: difficult to handle; requiring great tact; "delicate negotiations with the big powers";"hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter"; "a touchy subject" [syn: {delicate}, {ticklish}, {touchy}] 7: of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely; "almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments"