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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

2 entries under this word

Dainty

Dāin'ty, a.

adjective

a. [O. Fr. dain, dainty, fine, quaint, curious (Cotgrave), probably from Lat. dignus, worthy, suitable, It. degno. But cf. also W. dain, fine, delicate, nice, deintiaeth, a., dainty, delicious, deintiaidd, n., a dainty; daint, pl. daint, a tooth.]

Sense 1. Delicious to the palate; agreeable to the taste; toothsome.

Dainty bits Make rich the ribs. Shak.

Sense 2. Nice; delicate; elegant in form, manner, or breeding.

Those dainty limbs which nature lent For gentle usage. Milton.

I would be the girdle about her dainty, dainty waist. Tennyson.

Sense 3. Requiring dainties; hence, over-nice; hard to please; fastidious; scrupulous; ceremonious.

They were a fine and dainty people. Bacon.

Basins and ewers to lave her dainty hands. Shak.

Let us not be dainty of leave-taking. Shak.

Dainty maketh derth, an old proverb used by Spenser to signify that to be too nice makes an artificial scarcity without necessity. Nares. — To make dainty, to assume or affect delicacy or fastidiousness. [Obs.]

Ah, ha, my mistresses, which of you all Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty, she I'll swear hath corns. Shak.

Dāin'ty, n.

noun

n. 1. That which is delicious, delicate, or nice; a delicacy.

*That precious nectar may the taste renew Of Eden’s dainties, by our parents lost.* Beau. & Fl.

Sense 2. A term of fondness. [Obs.]

Why, that’s my dainty. Shak.

Synonyms—Delicacy.—DAINTY, DELICACY. These words are here compared as denoting articles of food. The term delicacy is 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.