Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DE-LETE', v.t. [L. deleo.]

To blot out. [Not used.] Fuller.

DEL-E-TE'RI-OUS, a. [L. deleterius, from deleo, to blot out or destroy; W. dilëaw, dilëu. Qu. Ir. dallaim, to blind.]

1. Having the quality of destroying, or extinguishing life; destructive; poisonous; as, a deleterious plant or quality.
2. Injurious; pernicious.

DEL'E-TER-Y, a.

Destructive; poisonous. Hudibras.

DE-LE'TION, n. [L. deletio, from deleo, to blot out.]

1. The act of blotting out or erasing.
2. Destruction. [Little used.] Hale.

DEL'E-TO-RY, n.

That which blots out. Taylor.

DELF, n. [Sax. delfan, to delve, to dig.]

1. A mine; a quarry; a pit dug. [Rarely used.] Ray.
2. Earthen ware, covered with enamel or white glazing in imitation of China ware or porcelain, made at Delft in Holland; properly, Delft-ware.

DE'LI-AC, n. [from Delos.]

In the arts, a kind of sculptured vase: also beautiful bronze and silver. Elmes.

DEL'I-BATE, v.t. [L. delibo; de and libo, to taste.]

To taste; to take a sip. [Little used.]

DEL-I-BA'TION, n.

A taste; an essay. [Little used.] Berkeley.

DE-LIB'ER-ATE, a.

1. Weighing facts and arguments with a view to a choice or decision; carefully considering the probable consequences of a step; circumspect; slow in determining; applied to persons; as, a deliberate judge or counselor.
2. Formed with deliberation; well advised or considered; not sudden or rash; as, a deliberate opinion; a deliberate measure, or result.
3. Slow; as, a deliberate death or echo. [Hardly legitimate.] Bacon.

DE-LIB'ER-ATE, v.i. [L. delibero; de and libro, to weigh; It. librare. See Librate.]

To weigh in the mind; to consider and examine the reasons for and against a measure; to estimate the weight or force of arguments, or the probable consequences of a measure, in order to a choice or decision; to pause and consider. A wise prince will deliberate before he wages war. The woman that deliberates is lost. Addison.

DE-LIB'ER-ATE, v.t.

To balance in the mind; to weigh; to consider. Laud.

DE-LIB'ER-A-TED, pp.

Balanced in the mind; considered.

DE-LIB'ER-ATE-LY, adv.

With careful consideration, or deliberation; circumspectly; not hastily or rashly; slowly. This purpose was deliberately formed. Dryden. Goldsmith.

DE-LIB'ER-ATE-NESS, n.

Calm consideration; circumspection; due attention to the arguments for and against a measure; caution. K. Charles.

DE-LIB'ER-A-TING, pp.

Balancing in the mind; weighing; considering.

DE-LIB-ER-A'TION, n. [L. deliberatio.]

1. The act of deliberating; the act of weighing and examining the reasons for and against a choice or measure; consideration. We say, a measure has been taken with deliberation.
2. Mutual discussion and examination of the reasons for and against a measure; as, the deliberations of a legislative body or council.

DE-LIB'ER-A-TIVE, a.

1. Pertaining to deliberation; proceeding or acting by deliberation, or by mutual discussion and examination; as, the legislature is a deliberative body.
2. Having a right or power to deliberate or discuss. In councils, the bishops have a deliberative voice. Encyc.
3. Apt or disposed to consider. Bp. Barlow.

DE-LIB'ER-A-TIVE, n.

A discourse in which a question is discussed or weighed and examined. A kind of rhetoric employed in proving a thing and convincing others of its truth, in order to persuade them to adopt it. Encyc.

DE-LIB'ER-A-TIVE-LY, adv.

By deliberation. Burke.

DEL'I-CA-CY, n. [Fr. delicatesse; Sp. delicadeza; It. delicatezza; but more directly from Delicate, which see. In a general sense, that which delights or pleases. Hence,]

1. Fineness of texture; smoothness; softness; tenderness; as, the delicacy of the skin; and nearly in the same sense, applicable to food; as, the delicacy of flesh, meat or vegetables. Hence,
2. Daintiness; pleasantness to the taste.
3. Elegant or feminine beauty; as, delicacy of form.
4. Nicety; minute accuracy; as, the delicacy of coloring in painting.
5. Neatness in dress; elegance, proceeding from a nice selection and adjustment of the several parts of dress. Spectator.
6. Softness of manners; civility or politeness proceeding from a nice observance of propriety, and a desire to please; as, delicacy of behavior.
7. Indulgence; gentle treatment; as, delicacy of education.
8. Tendereness; scrupulousness; the quality manifested in nice attention to right, and care to avoid wrong, or offense. Bp. Taylor.
9. Acute or nice perception of what is pleasing to the sense of tasting: hence, figuratively, a nice perception of beauty and deformity, or the faculty of such nice perception. Delicacy of the taste tends to invigorate the social affections, and moderate those that are selfish. Kames.
10. That which delights the senses, particularly the taste; applied to eatables; as, the peach is a great delicacy.
11. Tenderness of constitution; weakness; that quality or state of the animal body which renders it very impressible to injury; as, delicacy of constitution or frame.
12. Smallness; fineness; slenderness; tenuity; as, the delicacy of a thread, or fiber.
13. Tenderness; nice susceptibility of impression; as, delicacy of feeling.

DEL'I-CATE, a. [Fr. delicat; Sp. delicado; It. delicato; L. delicatus, connected with deliciæ, delight, delecto, to delight; probably a compound of de, with the root of like. See Delight and Like.]

1. Of a fine texture; fine; soft; smooth; clear, or fair; as, a delicate skin.
2. Nice; pleasing to the taste; of an agreeable flavor; as, delicate food; a delicate dish.
3. Nice in perception of what is agreeable; dainty; as, a delicate taste; and figuratively, nice and discriminating in beauty and deformity.
4. Nice; accurate; fine; soft to the eye; as, a delicate color.
5. Nice in forms; regulated by minute observance of propriety, or by condescension and attention to the wishes and feelings of others; as, delicate behavior or manners; a delicate address.
6. Pleasing to the senses; as, a delicate flavor.
7. Fine; slender; minute: as, a delicate thread.
8. That can not be handled without injury or danger: that must be touched with care; as, a delicate point or topic; a delicate question.
9. Composed of fine threads, or nicely interwoven; as, delicate texture: hence, soft and smooth to the touch; as, delicate silk.
10. Tender; effeminate; not able to endure hardship; very impressible to injury; as, a delicate frame or constitution.
11. Feeble; not sound or robust; as, delicate health.

DEL'I-CATE, n.

Any thing nice; a nicety. [Obs.] Jer. li. 34. Dryden.

DEL'I-CATE-LY, adv.

1. In a delicate manner; with nice regard to propriety and the feelings of others.
2. Daintily; luxuriously. They that live delicately are in king's courts. Luke vil.
3. With soft elegance; as, an expression delicately turned.
4. Tenderly; with indulgence in ease, elegance and luxury. Prov. xxix.

DEL'I-CATE-NESS, n.

The state of being delicate; tenderness; softness; effeminacy. Deut. xxviii.