different between delicious vs delicacy

English

Etymology

From Middle English delicious, from Anglo-Norman delicious, from Old French delicious, delicieux, from Late Latin d?lici?sus (“delicate, delicious”), from d?liciae (“delights”), plural of d?licia (“pleasure”), from delici? (“I allure, I entice”), from de- (“away”) + laci? (“I lure, I deceive”). Displaced native Middle English este (“delicious, favorable”) (from Old English ?ste (“delicious, dainty, luxurious, delicate”)), Middle English wunli, wunlic (“delicious, joyous”) (from Old English wynl?? (“pleasant, beautiful, joyful”)), Old English ?stel?c (“delicious, delicate, dainty”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??l???s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /d??l???s/, /di?l???s/

• Rhymes: -???s

Adjective

delicious (comparative more delicious, superlative most delicious)

1. Pleasing to taste; tasty.
2. (colloquial) Metaphorically pleasing to taste; pleasing to the eyes or mind.

   The irony is delicious!

   • 1986, Patrick Lichfield, Courvoisier's Book of the Best (page 230)

     But the houses are so delicious and the way they're townscaped on to hilly bits is absolutely wonderful.

   • Jones had not travelled far before he paid his compliments to that beautiful planet, and, turning to his companion, asked him if he had ever beheld so delicious an evening?

3. (slang) Having tremendous sex appeal.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:delicious

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• leucosiid, lousicide

Old French

Etymology

From Late Latin d?lici?sus, see above.

Adjective

delicious m (oblique and nominative feminine singular deliciouse)

1. delicious; tasty
2. noble; courtly; courteous

Declension

Descendants

• English: delicious
• French: délicieux

English

Etymology

From Middle English delicacie, from Middle English delicat, from Latin delicatus.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?d?l?k?si/

Noun

delicacy (countable and uncountable, plural delicacies)

1. The quality of being delicate.
2. Something appealing, usually a pleasing food, especially a choice dish of a certain culture suggesting rarity and refinement.

3. Fineness or elegance of construction or appearance.
4. Frailty of health or fitness.
5. Refinement in taste or discrimination.
6. Tact and propriety; the need for such tact.

Related terms

Translations