dainty
adjective
1.
2.
of delicate composition and artistry
- “a dainty teacup”
- “an exquisite cameo”
3.
especially pleasing to the taste
- “a dainty dish to set before a kind”
- “a tasty morsel”
4.
excessively fastidious and easily disgusted
- “too nice about his food to take to camp cooking”
- “so squeamish he would only touch the toilet handle with his elbow”
noun
Origin
From Middle English deynte (as noun), from Old French deintié, from Latin dignitātem. Doublet of dignity.
Phrases
- Canadian dainty
Related words
Word family
Broader terms
WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.