delicacy

English

/ˈdɛlɪkəsi/

noun
Definitions
  • The quality of being delicate.
  • Something appealing, usually a pleasing food, especially a choice dish of a certain culture suggesting rarity and refinement -a Chinese delicacy
  • Fineness or elegance of construction or appearance.
  • Frailty of health or fitness.
  • Refinement in taste or discrimination.
  • Tact and propriety; the need for such tact.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English delicacie, delicat derived from Latin delicatus (alluring, giving pleasure, soft, delightful, luxurious, slender, in Medieval Latin also fine, delicate).

Origin

Latin

delicatus

Gloss

alluring, giving pleasure, soft, delightful, luxurious, slender, in Medieval Latin also fine, delicate

Concept
Semantic Field

Sense perception

Ontological Category

Property

Kanji

微

Emoji
🍦 🔈️

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms