delicacy
Use Delicacy in a sentence
ɪ noun, plural del·i·ca·cies.
1.
fineness of texture, quality, etc.; softness; daintiness: the delicacy of lace.
2.
something delightful or pleasing, especially a choice food considered with regard to its rarity, costliness, or the like: Caviar is a great delicacy.
3.
the quality of being easily broken or damaged; fragility.
4.
the quality of requiring or involving great care or tact: negotiations of great delicacy.
5.
extreme sensitivity; precision of action or operation; minute accuracy: the delicacy of a skillful surgeon's touch; a watch mechanism of unusual delicacy.
6.
fineness of perception or feeling; sensitiveness: the delicacy of the pianist's playing.
7.
fineness of feeling with regard to what is fitting, proper, etc.: Delicacy would not permit her to be rude.
8.
sensitivity with regard to the feelings of others: She criticized him with such delicacy that he was not offended.
9.
bodily weakness; liability to sickness; frailty.
10.
Linguistics. (especially in systemic linguistics) the degree of minuteness pursued at a given stage of analysis in specifying distinctions in linguistic description.
11.
Obsolete. sensuous indulgence; luxury.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To delicacy
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Delicacy
is always a great word to know.
So is asterisk. Does it mean:
| a star (*) used to mark utterance that would be considered ungrammatical or otherwise unacceptable by native speakers of a language |
| any speech sequence consisting of one or more words and preceded and followed by silence |
Collins
World English Dictionary
delicacy (ˈdɛlɪkəsɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -cies | |
| 1. | fine or subtle quality, character, construction, etc: delicacy of craftsmanship |
| 2. | fragile, soft, or graceful beauty |
| 3. | something that is considered choice to eat, such as caviar |
| 4. | fragile construction or constitution; frailty |
| 5. | refinement of feeling, manner, or appreciation: the delicacy of the orchestra's playing |
| 6. | fussy or squeamish refinement, esp in matters of taste, propriety, etc |
| 7. | need for tactful or sensitive handling |
| 8. | accuracy or sensitivity of response or operation, as of an instrument |
| 9. | (in systemic grammar) the level of detail at which a linguistic description is made; the degree of fine distinction in a linguistic description |
| 10. | obsolete gratification, luxury, or voluptuousness |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
delicacy
late 14c., "quaity of being addicted to sensuous pleasure," from delicate. Meaning "fineness, softness, tender loveliness" is from 1580s; that of "weakness of constitution" is from 1630s. Meaning "a dainty viand" is from mid-15c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Lobsters are considered a food delicacy around the world.
The krill are used as fish food and bait and, in some countries, as a delicacy for humans.
Less meat, for sure, but it could be sold as more of a delicacy and you'd get twice the bang from each frog.
But even fans of the delicacy can't help but think about how it came to be.
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