Dictionary: DE-LIB-ER-A'TION – DE-LIGHT'SOME-LY

a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z |

1234567891011121314151617181920
2122232425262728293031323334353637383940
4142434445464748495051525354555657585960
6162636465666768697071727374757677787980
81828384858687888990919293949596979899100
101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140
141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160
161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180
181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200
201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215

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. Tenderness; 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 vii.
  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.

DE-LI'CIOUS, a. [Fr. delicieux; L. delicatus; deliciæ; Sp. delicioso; It. delizioso.]

  1. Highly pleasing to the taste; most sweet or grateful to the senses; affording exquisite pleasure; as, a delicious viand; delicious fruit or wine.
  2. Most pleasing to the mind; very grateful; yielding exquisite delight; as, this poem affords a delicious entertainment.

DE-LI'CIOUS-LY, adv.

In a delicious manner; in a manner to please the taste or gratify the mind; sweetly; pleasantly; delightfully; as, to feed deliciously; to be deliciously entertained.

DE-LI'CIOUS-NESS, n.

  1. The quality of being delicious, or very grateful to the taste or mind; as, the deliciousness of a repast.
  2. Delight; great pleasure.

DEL-I-GA'TION, n. [L. deligatio, deligo; de and ligo, to bind.]

In surgery, a binding up; a bandaging.

DE-LIGHT', n. [deli'te; Fr. delice; Sp. delicia; It. delizia; L. deliciæ, connected with delector; probably allied to Eng. like.]

  1. A high degree of pleasure, or satisfaction of mind; joy. His delight is in the law of the Lord. – Ps. i.
  2. That which gives great pleasure; that which affords delight. Titus was the delight of human kind. – Dryden. I was daily his delight. – Prov. viii. Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy, and not dependent on sudden excitement.

DE-LIGHT', v.i.

To have or take great pleasure; to be greatly pleased or rejoiced; followed by in. I delight in the law of God after the inward man. – Rom. vii.

DE-LIGHT', v.t. [Sp. deleytar; Port. deleitar; L. delector; Fr. delecter. See Delight and Like.]

  1. To effect with great pleasure; to please highly; to give or afford high satisfaction or joy; as, a beautiful landscape delights the eye; harmony delights the ear; the good conduct of children, and especially their piety, delights their parents. I will delight myself in thy statutes. – Ps. cxix.
  2. To receive great pleasure in. I delight to do thy will. – Ps. xl.

DE-LIGHT'ED, pp.

  1. Greatly pleased; rejoiced; followed by with. That ye may be delighted with the abundance of her glory. – Is. lxvi.
  2. adj. Full of delight. Shak.

DE-LIGHT'ER, n.

One who takes delight. – Barrow.

DE-LIGHT'FUL, a.

Highly pleasing; affording great pleasure and satisfaction; as, a delightful thought; a delightful prospect.

DE-LIGHT'FUL-LY, adv.

  1. In a manner to receive great pleasure; very agreeably; as, we were delightfully employed, or entertained.
  2. In a delightful manner; charmingly; in a manner to afford great pleasure; as, the lady sings and plays delightfully.

DE-LIGHT'FUL-NESS, n.

  1. The quality of being delightful, or of affording great pleasure; as, the delightfulness of a prospect, or of scenery.
  2. Great pleasure; delight. [Less proper.]

DE-LIGHT'ING, ppr.

Giving great pleasure; rejoicing.

DE-LIGHT'LESS, a.

Affording no pleasure or delight. – Thomson.

DE-LIGHT'SOME, a.

Very pleasing; delightful. – Grew.

DE-LIGHT'SOME-LY, adv.

Very pleasantly; in a delightful manner.