Definition of 'delicacy'
Word forms: plural delicacies
1. uncountable noun
Delicacy is the quality of being easy to break or harm, and refers especially to people or things that are attractive or graceful.
2. uncountable noun
3. uncountable noun [oft with NOUN]
4. countable noun
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
delicacy in British English
nounWord forms: plural -cies
4.
fragile construction or constitution; frailty
8.
9.
(in systemic grammar) the level of detail at which a linguistic description is made; the degree of fine distinction in a linguistic description
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
delicacy in American English
nounWord forms: plural ˈdelicacies
2.
the delicacy of a petal, of spun glass, or of a child's face
3.
weakness of constitution or health; frailty
6.
sensitiveness of response
the delicacy of a compass
7.
fineness of touch, skill, etc.
8.
a fine regard for the feelings of others
10.
a choice food
caviar and other delicacies
11. Obsolete
luxuriousness
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
delicacy in American English
(ˈdelɪkəsi)
nounWord forms: plural -cies
SYNONYMS 5. sensitivity, discrimination; prudence, consideration, circumspection.ANTONYMS 1, 6. coarseness.1.
fineness of texture, quality, etc.; softness; daintiness
the delicacy of lace
2.
something delightful or pleasing, esp. 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
5.
the delicacy of a skillful surgeon's touch
a watch mechanism of unusual delicacy
7.
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
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Examples of 'delicacy' in a sentence
delicacy
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In other languages
delicacy
British English: delicacy
NOUN /ˈdɛlɪkəsɪ/
Delicacy is the quality of being easy to break or harm, and refers especially to people or things that are attractive or graceful.
...the delicacy of a rose.
- American English: delicacy /ˈdɛlɪkəsi/
- Brazilian Portuguese: delicadeza
- Chinese: 娇弱
- European Spanish: delicadeza
- French: délicatesse
- German: Zartheit
- Italian: delicatezza
- Japanese: 繊細さ
- Korean: 섬세함
- European Portuguese: delicadeza
- Latin American Spanish: delicadeza
- Thai: ความบอบบาง
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