dainty Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun something considered choice to eat
    goody; kickshaw; delicacy; treat.
  2. adjective satellite affectedly dainty or refined
    twee; prim; niminy-piminy; mincing.
  3. adjective satellite delicately beautiful
    exquisite.
    • a dainty teacup
    • an exquisite cameo
  4. adjective satellite especially pleasing to the taste;
    • a dainty dish to set before a kind
  5. adjective satellite excessively fastidious and easily disgusted
    overnice; squeamish; nice; prissy.
    • too nice about his food to take to camp cooking
    • so squeamish he would only touch the toilet handle with his elbow

WordNet

Dain"ty noun
Etymology
OE. deinie, dainte, deintie, deyntee, OF. deintié delicacy, orig., dignity, honor, fr. L. dignitas, fr. dignus worthy. See Deign, and cf. Dignity.
Wordforms
plural Dainties
Definitions
  1. Value; estimation; the gratification or pleasure taken in anything. Obs.
    I ne told no deyntee of her love. Chaucer.
  2. That which is delicious or delicate; a delicacy.
    That precious nectar may the taste renew Of Eden's dainties, by our parents lost. Beau. & Fl.
  3. A term of fondness. Poetic B. Jonson. Syn. -- Dainty, Delicacy. These words are here compared as denoting articles of food. The term delicacy as applied to a nice article of any kind, and hence to articles of food which are particularly attractive. Dainty is stronger, and denotes some exquisite article of cookery. A hotel may be provided with all the delicacies of the season, and its table richly covered with dainties.
    These delicacies I mean of taste, sight, smell, herbs, fruits, and flowers, Walks and the melody of birds. Milton.
    [A table] furnished plenteously with bread, And dainties, remnants of the last regale. Cowper.
Dain"ty adjective
Wordforms
comparative Daintier ; superlative Daintiest
Definitions
  1. Rare; valuable; costly. Obs.
    Full many a deynté horse had he in stable. Chaucer.
    ✍ Hence the proverb "dainty maketh dearth," i. e., rarity makes a thing dear or precious.
  2. Delicious to the palate; toothsome.
    Dainty bits Make rich the ribs. Shak.
  3. Nice; delicate;elegant, in form, manner, or breeding; well-formed; neat; tender.
    Those dainty limbs which nature lent For gentle usage and soft delicacy. Milton.
    Iwould be the girdle. About her dainty, dainty waist. Tennyson.
  4. Requirinig daintles. Hence; Overnice; hard to please; fastidious; sqrupulous; ceremonious.
    Thew were a fine and Dainty people. Bacon.
    And let us not be dainty of leave taking, But shift away. Shak.
    Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you all Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty, She, I'll swear, hath corns. Shak.

Webster 1913