Delicate Del"i·cate noun 1. A choice dainty; a delicacy. [ R.]

With abstinence all delicates he sees.

Dryden.

2. A delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person.

All the vessels, then, which our delicates have, -- those I mean that would seem to be more fine in their houses than their neighbors, -- are only of the Corinth metal.

Holland.

Delicately Del"i·cate·ly adverb In a delicate manner.

Delicateness Del"i·cate·ness noun The quality of being delicate.

Delicatessen Del`i·ca·tes"sen noun plural [ G., from French délicatesse .] Relishes for the table; dainties; delicacies. "A dealer in delicatessen ". G. H. Putnam.

Delices Del"i·ces noun plural [ French délices , from Latin deliciae .] Delicacies; delights. [ Obsolete] "Dainty delices ." Spenser.

Deliciate De·li"ci·ate transitive verb To delight one's self; to indulge in feasting; to revel. [ Obsolete]

Delicious De·li"cious adjective [ Old French delicieus , French délicieux , Latin deliciosus , from deliciae delight, from delicere to allure. See Delight .] 1. Affording exquisite pleasure; delightful; most sweet or grateful to the senses, especially to the taste; charming.

Some delicious landscape.

Coleridge.

One draught of spring's delicious air.

Keble.

Were not his words delicious ?

Tennyson.

2. Addicted to pleasure; seeking enjoyment; luxurious; effeminate. [ Obsolete]

Others, lastly, of a more delicious and airy spirit, retire themselves to the enjoyments of ease and luxury.

Milton.

Syn. -- Delicious , Delightful . Delicious refers to the pleasure derived from certain of the senses, particularly the taste and smell; as, delicious food; a delicious fragrance. Delightful may also refer to most of the senses (as, delightful music; a delightful prospect; delightful sensations), but has a higher application to matters of taste, feeling, and sentiment; as, a delightful abode, conversation, employment; delightful scenes, etc.

Like the rich fruit he sings, delicious in decay.

Smith.

No spring, nor summer, on the mountain seen,
Smiles with gay fruits or with delightful green.

Addison.

Deliciously De·li"cious·ly adverb Delightfully; as, to feed deliciously ; to be deliciously entertained.

Deliciousness De·li"cious·ness noun 1. The quality of being delicious; as, the deliciousness of a repast.

2. Luxury. "To drive away all superfluity and deliciousness ." Sir T. North.

Delict De·lict" noun [ Latin delictum fault.] (Law) An offense or transgression against law; (Scots Law) an offense of a lesser degree; a misdemeanor.

Every regulation of the civil code necessarily implies a delict in the event of its violation.

Jeffrey.

Deligate Del"i·gate transitive verb [ Latin deligatus , past participle of deligare to bind up; de- + ligare to bind.] (Surg.) To bind up; to bandage.

Deligation Del`i·ga"tion noun [ Confer French déligation .] (Surg.) A binding up; a bandaging. Wiseman.

Delight De·light" noun [ Middle English delit , Old French delit , deleit , from delitier , to delight. See Delight , transitive verb ] 1. A high degree of gratification of mind; a high- wrought state of pleasurable feeling; lively pleasure; extreme satisfaction; joy.

Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.

Shak.

A fool hath no delight in understanding.

Prov. xviii. 2.

2. That which gives great pleasure or delight.

Heaven's last, best gift, my ever new delight .

Milton.

3. Licentious pleasure; lust. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Delight De·light" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Delighted ; present participle & verbal noun Delighting .] [ Middle English deliten , Old French delitier , deleitier , French délecter , from Latin delectare to entice away, to delight (sc. by attracting or alluring), intens. of delicere to allure, delight; de- + lacere to entice, allure; confer laqueus a snare. Confer Delectate , Delicate , Delicious , Dilettante , Elicit , Lace .] To give delight to; to affect with great pleasure; to please highly; as, a beautiful landscape delights the eye; harmony delights the ear.

Inventions to delight the taste.

Shak.

Delight our souls with talk of knightly deeds.

Tennyson.

Delight De·light" intransitive verb To have or take great delight or pleasure; to be greatly pleased or rejoiced; -- followed by an infinitive, or by in .

Love delights in praises.

Shak.

I delight to do thy will, O my God.

Ps. xl. 8.

Delightable De·light"a·ble adjective [ See Delectable .] Capable of delighting; delightful. [ Obsolete]

Many a spice delightable .

Rom. of R.

Delighted De·light"ed adjective Endowed with delight.

If virtue no delighted beauty lack.

Shak.

Syn. -- Glad; pleased; gratified. See Glad .

Delightedly De·light"ed·ly adverb With delight; gladly.

Delighter De·light"er noun One who gives or takes delight.

Delightful De·light"ful adjective Highly pleasing; affording great pleasure and satisfaction. " Delightful bowers." Spenser. " Delightful fruit.> " Milton.

Syn. -- Delicious; charming. See Delicious .

-- De*light"ful*ly , adverb -- De*light"ful*ness , noun

Delighting De·light"ing adjective Giving delight; gladdening. -- De*light"ing*ly , adverb Jer. Taylor.

Delightless De·light"less adjective Void of delight. Thomson.

Delightous De·light"ous adjective [ Old French delitos .] Delightful. [ Obsolete] Rom. of R.

Delightsome De·light"some adjective Very pleasing; delightful. " Delightsome vigor." Grew.

Ye shall be a delightsome land, . . . saith the Lord.

Mal. iii. 12.

-- De*light"some*ly , adverb -- De*light"some*ness , noun

Delignate De·lig"nate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Delignated ; present participle & verbal noun Delignating .] [ Prefix de- + Latin lignum wood.] 1. To clear or strip of wood (by cutting down trees). [ R.] Fuller.

2. To strip or remove the wood from; as, to delignate ramie, in the preparation of ribbons of the fiber for further working.

Delilah De·li"lah noun The mistress of Samson, who betrayed him ( Judges xvi. ); hence, a harlot; a temptress.

Other Delilahs on a smaller scale Burns met with during his Dumfries sojourn.

J. C. Shairp.

Delimit De·lim"it transitive verb [ Latin delimitare : confer French délimiter .] To fix the limits of; to demarcate; to bound.

Delimitation De·lim`i·ta"tion noun [ Latin delimitatio : confer French délimitation .] The act or process of fixing limits or boundaries; limitation. Gladstone.

Deline De·line" (de*līn") transitive verb 1. To delineate. [ Obsolete]

2. To mark out. [ Obsolete] R. North.

Delineable De·lin"e·a·ble adjective Capable of being, or liable to be, delineated. Feltham.

Delineament De·lin"e·a·ment .... [ See Delineate .] Delineation; sketch. Dr. H. More.

Delineate De·lin"e·ate adjective [ Latin delineatus , past participle of delineare to delineate; de- + lineare to draw, from linea line. See Line .] Delineated; portrayed. [ R.]

Delineate De·lin"e·ate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Delineated ; present participle & verbal noun Delineating .] 1. To indicate by lines drawn in the form or figure of; to represent by sketch, design, or diagram; to sketch out; to portray; to picture; in drawing and engraving, to represent in lines, as with the pen, pencil, or graver; hence, to represent with accuracy and minuteness. See Delineation .

Adventurous to delineate nature's form.

Akenside.

2. To portray to the mind or understanding by words; to set forth; to describe.

Customs or habits delineated with great accuracy.

Walpole.

Delineation De·lin`e·a"tion noun [ Latin delineatio : confer French délinéation .] 1. The act of representing, portraying, or describing, as by lines, diagrams, sketches, etc.; drawing an outline; as, the delineation of a scene or face; in drawing and engraving, representation by means of lines, as distinguished from representation by means of tints and shades; accurate and minute representation, as distinguished from art that is careless of details, or subordinates them excessively.

2. A delineated picture; representation; sketch; description in words.

Their softest delineations of female beauty.

W. Irving.

Syn. -- Sketch; portrait; outline. See Sketch .

Delineator De·lin"e·a`tor noun 1. One who, or that which, delineates; a sketcher.

2. (Surv.) A perambulator which records distances and delineates a profile, as of a road.

Delineatory De·lin"e·a·to·ry adjective That delineates; descriptive; drawing the outline; delineating.

Delineature De·lin"e·a·ture noun Delineation. [ Obsolete]

Delinition Del`i·ni"tion noun [ Latin delinere to smear. See Liniment .] A smearing. [ Obsolete] Dr. H. More.

Delinquency De·lin"quen·cy noun ; plural Delinquencies . [ Latin delinquentia , from delinquens .] Failure or omission of duty; a fault; a misdeed; an offense; a misdemeanor; a crime.

The delinquencies of the little commonwealth would be represented in the most glaring colors.

Motley.

Delinquent De·lin"quent adjective [ Latin delinquens , -entis , present participle of delinquere to fail, be wanting in one's duty, do wrong; de- + linquere to leave. See Loan , noun ] Failing in duty; offending by neglect of duty.

Delinquent De·lin"quent noun One who fails or neglects to perform his duty; an offender or transgressor; one who commits a fault or a crime; a culprit.

A delinquent ought to be cited in the place or jurisdiction where the delinquency was committed.

Ayliffe.

Delinquently De·lin"quent·ly adverb So as to fail in duty.

Deliquate Del"i·quate intransitive verb [ Latin deliquatus , past participle of deliquare to clear off, de- + liquare to make liquid, melt, dissolve.] To melt or be dissolved; to deliquesce. [ Obsolete] Boyle.

Deliquate Del"i·quate transitive verb To cause to melt away; to dissolve; to consume; to waste. [ Obsolete]

Dilapidating, or rather deliquating , his bishopric.

Fuller.

Deliquation Del`i·qua"tion noun A melting. [ Obsolete]

Deliquesce Del`i·quesce" intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Deliquesced ; present participle & verbal noun Deliquescing .] [ Latin deliquescere to melt, dissolve; de- + liquescere to become fluid, melt, from liquere to be fluid. See Liquid .] (Chemistry) To dissolve gradually and become liquid by attracting and absorbing moisture from the air, as certain salts, acids, and alkalies.

In very moist air crystals of strontites deliquesce .

Black.

Deliquescence Del`i·ques"cence noun [ Confer French déliquescence .] The act of deliquescing or liquefying; process by which anything deliquesces; tendency to melt.

Deliquescent Del`i·ques"cent adjective [ Latin deliquescens , -entis , present participle of deliquescere : confer French déliquescent .] 1. Dissolving; liquefying by contact with the air; capable of attracting moisture from the atmosphere and becoming liquid; as, deliquescent salts.

2. (Botany) Branching so that the stem is lost in branches, as in most deciduous trees. Gray.

Deliquiate De·liq"ui·ate intransitive verb [ Latin deliquia a flowing off, a gutter, deliquium a flowing down, from deliquare . See Deliquate .] To melt and become liquid by absorbing water from the air; to deliquesce. Fourcroy.

Deliquiation De·liq`ui·a"tion noun The act of deliquiating.

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