Definition of delicata
1. delicate [ a ] exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
Examples:
"a delicate violin passage"
"delicate china"
"a delicate flavor"
"the delicate wing of a butterfly"
(Christopher Davis, First Family....)
The doctor had to bend close to hear ; his delicate hand , as veined as a moth 's wing , rested absently on Scotty 's chest .
(Tristram Coffin, Not to the Swift....)
He observed the Florentine vase in the hall , the Renoir painting in the library , as_well_as the long shelves of well-bound volumes ; the pattern of the Oriental rug , the delicate cut-glass chandelier .
Synonyms delicate Related Terms rugged subtle fragile ethereal dainty pastel tender light-handed half-hardy half-hardy overdelicate weak frail breakable strength2. delicate [ a ] marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique
Examples:
"a surgeon's delicate touch"
(Guy Endore, Voltaire! Voltaire!...)
He was really amazed to discover the other guests so excited about these delicate little songs .
(Leo Lemon, "Catch Up With" and "Something to...)
The sweep of space , the delicate counterbalance of the white masses , the over-all completeness and unity , the originality and imagination , all entitle it to be called an authentic masterpiece .
Synonyms delicate Related Terms skilled3. delicate [ a ] easily broken or damaged or destroyed
Examples:
"a kite too delicate to fly safely"
"fragile porcelain plates"
"fragile old bones"
"a frail craft"
(Charles Wharton Stork, "Verner von Heidenstam"...)
Being somewhat delicate in health , at the age of sixteen he was sent to Southern Europe , for which he at_once developed a passion , so that he spent nearly all_of the following ten years abroad , at_first in Italy , then in Greece , Egypt , Asia_Minor , and Palestine .
(Alex Gordon, The Cipher....)
He climbed , as quickly as he could urge his body , up the two unbroken flights to the third floor , pulling himself along on a delicate balustrade , all that remained of the building 's beauty .
(Jim Thompson, The Transgressors....)
And his relatively small hands and feet gave him an almost delicate appearance .
Synonyms fragile delicate frail Related Terms breakable4. delicate [ a ] developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety
Examples:
"the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense"
(Irving Stone, The Agony and the Ecstasy....)
His Mary would be slender of limb and delicate of proportion , yet she must hold this full-grown man as securely and convincingly as she would a child .
Synonyms delicate finespun Related Terms refined5. delicate [ a ] difficult to handle; requiring great tact
Examples:
"delicate negotiations with the big powers"
"hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter"
(Douglas Ashford, "Elections in Morocco: Progress...)
There remained only the delicate task of maneuvering the laws through the labyrinth of Palace politics and making a small number of policy decisions .
Synonyms delicate ticklish Related Terms difficult6. delicate [ a ] easily hurt
Examples:
"soft hands"
"a baby's delicate skin"
(Richard F. McLaughlin, et al., "A study of the...)
For_example , the marked susceptibility of the monkey to respiratory infection might be related_to its delicate , long alveolar ducts and short , large bronchioles situated within a parenchyma entirely lacking in protective supportive tissue barriers such_as those found in types 1 , and 3 , .
Synonyms soft delicate Related Terms tender7. delicate [ a ] of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely
Examples:
"almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments"
Similar Spelling
delicatedelicately
delight
