Dictionary

delicacy en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈdɛlɪkəsi/ (UK)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English delicacie, from Middle English delicat, from Latin delicatus. Equivalent to delic(ate) + -acy.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The quality of being delicate.
   • […] for unless a matter be true enough to stand a good deal of misrepresentation, its truth is not of a very robust order, and the blame will rather lie with its own delicacy than with the carelessness of the crusher. 1878, Samuel Butler, Life and Habit, London: Trübner & Co., page 1:
2. (countable, uncountable) Something appealing, usually a pleasing food, especially a choice dish of a certain culture suggesting rarity and refinement.
   • a Chinese delicacy
3. (countable, uncountable) Fineness or elegance of construction or appearance.
4. (countable, uncountable) Frailty of health or fitness.
5. (countable, uncountable) Refinement in taste or discrimination.
6. (countable, uncountable) Tact and propriety; the need for such tact.

Forms

Deriveds

indelicacy · hyperdelicacy · overdelicacy

Relateds

delight · delicate · delicatessen · delicious

Synonyms

ambrosia

Translations (98)

la mattea (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · pdt Lakjabeskje (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · da delikatesse (quality of being delicate) · pl delicje (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · cmn 佳餚 /佳肴 (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · bg деликатност (quality of being delicate) · pt refinamento (refinement in taste) · pt fineza (elegance of construction or appearance) · pt guloseima (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · grc ὄψον (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · cmn 嘉殽 /嘉淆 (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · ota نازكلك (quality of being delicate) · ru утончённость (elegance of construction or appearance) · ja 珍味 (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · cmn 珍饈 /珍馐 (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · bg лакомство (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · izh herkku (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · ga íogaireacht (quality of being delicate) · et õrnus (quality of being delicate) · de Zerbrechlichkeit (quality of being delicate) · pl delikates (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · ky чүйгүн (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · fi herkku (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · es manjar (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · pl finezja (quality of being delicate) · ja 美味 (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · ru утончённость (quality of being delicate) · vi mỹ vị (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · la cuppēdia (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · bg изтънченост (refinement in taste) · nn delikatesse (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · pl delikatność (quality of being delicate) · bg изтънченост (quality of being delicate) · pt fineza (refinement in taste) · ja デリカシー (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · hi कोमलता (quality of being delicate) · ru деликате́с (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · de Zartheit (quality of being delicate) · bg изтънченост (elegance of construction or appearance) · cmn 佳肴 (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · lb Delikatess (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · sv delikatess (quality of being delicate) · pl subtelność (quality of being delicate) · sh pòslastica (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · nl lekkernij (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · hi सौम्यता (quality of being delicate) · sh dȅlikātnōst (elegance of construction or appearance) · mi horotai (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · ga leiceacht (quality of being delicate) · fi hienostuneisuus (elegance of construction or appearance) · de Empfindlichkeit (quality of being delicate) · cs lahůdka (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · bg деликатес (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · cmn 美食 (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · ota نازكلك (refinement in taste) · ca delicadesa (quality of being delicate) · da skrøbelighed (refinement in taste) · cmn 珍味 (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · it delicatezza (quality of being delicate) · sh delikatèsa (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · ru делика́тность (quality of being delicate) · de Köstlichkeit (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · fi hienostuneisuus (refinement in taste) · fi herkullisuus (quality of being delicate) · nl delicatesse (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · kk жеңсiк ас (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · fr délicatesse (quality of being delicate) · la scītāmentum (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · he מַטְעָם (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · pt delicadeza (quality of being delicate) · fr gourmandise (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · nb delikatesse (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · it leccornia (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · ru ла́комство (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · da delikatesse (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · sv delikatess (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · da lækkerbisken (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · sh dȅlikātnōst (refinement in taste) · de Leckerbissen (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · cs delikatesa (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · es delicadeza (quality of being delicate) · pl przysmak (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · gl delicadeza (quality of being delicate) · pt iguaria (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · sh dȅlikātnōst (quality of being delicate) · ru утончённость (refinement in taste) · de Feinheit (quality of being delicate) · lv delikatese (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · it squisitezza (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · cmn 美味 (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · de Delikatesse (refinement in taste) · kk жеңсiк тағам (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · de Delikatesse (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · ru изы́сканность (refinement in taste) · da sarthed (quality of being delicate) · it prelibatezza (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · eo frandaĵo (something appealing, especially a pleasing food) · he מַעֲדָן (something appealing, especially a pleasing food)