Delicacy (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

noun, plural del·i·ca·cies.

fineness of texture, quality, etc.; softness; daintiness: the delicacy of lace.
something delightful or pleasing, especially a choice food considered with regard to its rarity, costliness, or the like: Caviar is a great delicacy.
the quality of being easily broken or damaged; fragility.
the quality of requiring or involving great care or tact: negotiations of great delicacy.
extreme sensitivity; precision of action or operation; minute accuracy: the delicacy of a skillful surgeon's touch; a watch mechanism of unusual delicacy.
fineness of perception or feeling; sensitiveness: the delicacy of the pianist's playing.
fineness of feeling with regard to what is fitting, proper, etc.: Delicacy would not permit her to be rude.
sensitivity with regard to the feelings of others: She criticized him with such delicacy that he was not offended.
bodily weakness; liability to sickness; frailty.
(especially in systemic linguistics) the degree of minuteness pursued at a given stage of analysis in specifying distinctions in linguistic description.
sensuous indulgence; luxury.

noun plural -cies

fine or subtle quality, character, construction, etc
fragile, soft, or graceful beauty
something that is considered choice to eat, such as caviar
fragile construction or constitution; frailty
refinement of feeling, manner, or appreciation
fussy or squeamish refinement, esp in matters of taste, propriety, etc
need for tactful or sensitive handling
accuracy or sensitivity of response or operation, as of an instrument
(in systemic grammar) the level of detail at which a linguistic description is made; the degree of fine distinction in a linguistic description
gratification, luxury, or voluptuousness