delicacy

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. sensitiveness, tact, nicety; frailty, daintiness, exactness; tidbit, dainty; discrimination, taste, fastidiousness. See beauty, food, skill, pleasure, brittleness.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Fineness of texture]

Syn. daintiness, airiness, etherealness, transparency, fragility, flimsiness, softness, smoothness, translucency, filminess, tenuity, diaphanousness, subtlety, tenderness, exquisiteness, gracefulness; see also lightness 2 .

2. [A choice food]

Syn. tidbit, luxury, gourmet dish, treat, dainty, morsel, sweet, savory, rarity, delight, ambrosia, nectar, party dish, sweetmeat, imported food, food out of season, bonne bouche (French), specialty, goody*, food for the gods*; see also food .

3. [Lack of strength, usually to resist disease]

Syn. frailty, debility, tenderness; see weakness 1 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. frailty or fineness fragility, tenderness, lightness, daintiness, airiness, exquisiteness.

2. gourmet food tidbit, dainty, appetizer, morsel, goody, rarity, treat, bonne bouche, caviar.

3. sensitivity consideration, tact, grace, subtlety, finesse, diplomacy.

ANT.: 1. toughness, durability, sturdiness. 3. insensitivity, thoughtlessness, roughness

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. Something fine and delicious, especially a food: dainty, morsel, tidbit, treat. Informal: goody. See GOOD, INGESTION. 2. The condition of being infirm or physically weak: debility, decrepitude, delicateness, feebleness, flimsiness, fragileness, fragility, frailness, frailty, infirmity, insubstantiality, puniness, unsoundness, unsubstantiality, weakliness, weakness. See STRONG.