DELICACY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does delicacy mean? 

• DELICACY (noun)
  The noun DELICACY has 7 senses:

1. the quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance

2. something considered choice to eat

3. refined taste; tact

4. smallness of stature

5. lack of physical strength

6. subtly skillful handling of a situation

7. lightness in movement or manner

  Familiarity information: DELICACY used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DELICACY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

daintiness; delicacy; fineness

Context example:

the fineness of her features

Hypernyms ("delicacy" is a kind of...):

elegance (a refined quality of gracefulness and good taste)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Something considered choice to eat

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

dainty; delicacy; goody; kickshaw; treat

Hypernyms ("delicacy" is a kind of...):

aliment; alimentation; nourishment; nutriment; nutrition; sustenance; victuals (a source of materials to nourish the body)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "delicacy"):

choice morsel; tidbit; titbit (a small tasty bit of food)

savory; savoury (an aromatic or spicy dish served at the end of dinner or as an hors d'oeuvre)

confection; sweet (a food rich in sugar)

ambrosia; nectar ((classical mythology) the food and drink of the gods; mortals who ate it became immortal)

gelatin; jelly (an edible jelly (sweet or pungent) made with gelatin and used as a dessert or salad base or a coating for foods)

bone marrow; marrow (very tender and very nutritious tissue from marrowbones)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Refined taste; tact

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

delicacy; discretion

Hypernyms ("delicacy" is a kind of...):

appreciation; discernment; perceptiveness; taste (delicate discrimination (especially of aesthetic values))

Sense 4

Meaning:

Smallness of stature

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

delicacy; slightness

Hypernyms ("delicacy" is a kind of...):

littleness; smallness (the property of having a relatively small size)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Lack of physical strength

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

delicacy; fragility

Hypernyms ("delicacy" is a kind of...):

weakness (the property of lacking physical or mental strength; liability to failure under pressure or stress or strain)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Subtly skillful handling of a situation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

delicacy; diplomacy; discreetness; finesse

Hypernyms ("delicacy" is a kind of...):

tact; tactfulness (consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Lightness in movement or manner

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

airiness; delicacy

Hypernyms ("delicacy" is a kind of...):

life; liveliness; spirit; sprightliness (animation and energy in action or expression)

 Context examples 

The good-natured Mrs. Moffat willingly did so, and had the delicacy not to make her a present of it immediately afterward.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He had never had an idea of throwing himself off; he had feared that he was thrown off, but knew not why, and delicacy had kept him silent.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Originally perhaps it was applied only to express neatness, propriety, delicacy, or refinement—people were nice in their dress, in their sentiments, or their choice.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Their delicacy is not to be shocked, or hurt easily.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Delicacy to her parents made her careful not to betray such a preference of her uncle's house.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

He found that the newspaper storiette should never be tragic, should never end unhappily, and should never contain beauty of language, subtlety of thought, nor real delicacy of sentiment.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

You slur over work of the utmost finesse and delicacy, in order to dwell upon sensational details which may excite, but cannot possibly instruct, the reader.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

My attention was fixed upon every object the most insupportable to the delicacy of the human feelings.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

As my nephew, you might have taken your position by perpetuating my own delicacy of taste.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“No, sir; I had a delicacy,” was the reply.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)