delicate

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A tiny pillow of an apple fritter is best described as a delicate, cinnamon and sugar-sprinkled mini doughnut with fresh-cooked apple chunks in the center instead of a hole.

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Definitions (36)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (13)

  1. adjective Pleasing to the senses, especially in a subtle way: a delicate flavor; a delicate violin passage.
  2. adjective Exquisitely fine or dainty: delicate china.
  3. adjective Frail in constitution or health.

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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

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Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

beautiful ·  soft ·  exquisite ·  subtle ·  graceful
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English delicat and French délicat, both from Latin dēlicātus, pleasing; akin to dēlicia, pleasure; see delicious.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from Middle English delicate, delicat, from Old French delicat, French délicat = Provencal delicat = Spanish Portuguese delicado = Italian delicato (cf. Middle English delie, from Old French delie, delje, delgie, delge, deuge, the vernacular form, = Provencal delguat = Spanish Portuguese delgado, fine, slender), from Latin delicatus, giving pleasure, delightful, soft, luxurious, delicate, Middle Latin also fine, slender, from delicia, usually in plural deliciæ, pleasure, delight, luxury, from delicere, allure, from de, away, + lacere, allure, entice. From the same source are delicious, delectable, and delight, q. v.
 

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/ˈdɛlɪkət/
by American Heritage

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