Definitions for delicate
ˈdɛl ɪ kɪtdel·i·cate

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. delicateadjective

   exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury

   "a delicate violin passage"; "delicate china"; "a delicate flavor"; "the delicate wing of a butterfly"

2. delicateadjective

   marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique

   "a surgeon's delicate touch"

3. delicate, fragile, frailadjective

   easily broken or damaged or destroyed

   "a kite too delicate to fly safely"; "fragile porcelain plates"; "fragile old bones"; "a frail craft"

4. delicate, softadjective

   easily hurt

   "soft hands"; "a baby's delicate skin"

5. finespun, delicateadjective

   developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety

   "the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense"

6. delicate, ticklish, touchyadjective

   difficult to handle; requiring great tact

   "delicate negotiations with the big powers";"hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter"; "a touchy subject"

7. delicateadjective

   of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely

   "almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. delicatenoun

   A delicate item of clothing, especially underwear or lingerie.

   Don't put that in with your jeans: it's a delicate!

2. delicatenoun

   A choice dainty; a delicacy.

   With abstinence all delicates he sees. uE000104742uE001 Dryden.

3. delicatenoun

   A delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person.

   All the vessels, then, which our delicates have, uE000104743uE001 those I mean that would seem to be more fine in their houses than their neighbours, uE000104744uE001 are only of the Corinth metal. uE000104745uE001 Holland.

4. delicateadjective

   Easily damaged or requiring careful handling.

5. delicateadjective

   Characterized by a fine structure or thin lines.

6. delicateadjective

   Intended for use with fragile items.

   Set the washing machine to the delicate cycle

7. delicateadjective

   Of weak health, easily sick.

8. delicateadjective

   Unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol.

   Please don't speak so loudly - I'm feeling a bit delicate this morning

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Delicateadjective

   addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring

   Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

2. Delicateadjective

   pleasing to the senses; refinedly agreeable; hence, adapted to please a nice or cultivated taste; nice; fine; elegant; as, a delicate dish; delicate flavor

   Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

3. Delicateadjective

   slight and shapely; lovely; graceful; as, "a delicate creature."

   Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

4. Delicateadjective

   fine or slender; minute; not coarse; -- said of a thread, or the like; as, delicate cotton

   Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

5. Delicateadjective

   slight or smooth; light and yielding; -- said of texture; as, delicate lace or silk

   Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

6. Delicateadjective

   soft and fair; -- said of the skin or a surface; as, a delicate cheek; a delicate complexion

   Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

7. Delicateadjective

   light, or softly tinted; -- said of a color; as, a delicate blue

   Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

8. Delicateadjective

   refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; -- said of manners, conduct, or feelings; as, delicate behavior; delicate attentions; delicate thoughtfulness

   Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

9. Delicateadjective

   tender; not able to endure hardship; feeble; frail; effeminate; -- said of constitution, health, etc.; as, a delicate child; delicate health

   Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

10. Delicateadjective

    requiring careful handling; not to be rudely or hastily dealt with; nice; critical; as, a delicate subject or question

    Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

11. Delicateadjective

    of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious

    Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

12. Delicateadjective

    nicely discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite; as, a delicate taste; a delicate ear for music

    Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

13. Delicateadjective

    affected by slight causes; showing slight changes; as, a delicate thermometer

    Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

14. Delicatenoun

    a choice dainty; a delicacy

    Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

15. Delicatenoun

    a delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person

    Etymology: [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. dlicat. See Delight.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Delicate

   del′i-kāt, adj. pleasing to the senses, esp. the taste: dainty: nicely discriminating or perceptive: of a fine, slight texture or constitution: tender: frail, not robust: requiring nice handling: refined in manners: gentle, polite, considerate: luxurious.—n. Del′icacy, state or quality of being delicate: refinement: nicety: tenderness, weakness: luxuriousness: anything delicate or dainty.—adv. Del′icately, in a delicate manner: (B.) luxuriously.—n. Del′icateness, state of being delicate: (B.) delicacy, luxury.—n.pl. Del′icates (B.), delicacies. [L. delicātus—deliciæ, allurements, luxury—delicĕre—de, inten., lacĕre, to entice.]

British National Corpus

1. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'delicate' in Adjectives Frequency: #676

How to pronounce delicate?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say delicate in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of delicate in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of delicate in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of delicate in a Sentence

1. Troy Vincent:

   I’m just praying for the young man, personally, today. I’m praying for him and his family. I’m praying for the young ladies that have come out. This is not good for anybody, forget the sport, but I think we’ve learned that every situation’s different. They’re delicate. You make sure that folks, whether it’s the accuser, the victim, whoever it may be, that there’s a due process in place. And I think we’ve learned that over time, not that we’ve rushed in the past, but I think we’ve learned from the different cases that we’ve seen with this particular subject matter, let the due process take care of itself, then that’s up to Lisa [Friel, NFL special counsel for investigations] and her team to now make the proper recommendations to what direction the commissioner and the commissioner’s office should take.

2. Dominic Cooper:

   She’s a friend, it was always going to be OK. You just have to be delicate with those situations.

3. Oscar Wilde:

   Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone.

4. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake:

   It's a very delicate balancing act, when we have to make sure that we're managing but not increasing and escalating the problem.

5. Valeria Zapasnikova:

   From time to time (she) tried to overcome my strong character and turn me into a delicate and fragile girl, the role of Masha has become a great pleasure for me.

Images & Illustrations of delicate

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