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Webster 1913 Edition

Dainty

Dain′ty

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Dainties
(#)
.
[OE.
deinie
,
dainte
,
deintie
,
deyntee
, OF.
deintié
delicacy, orig., dignity, honor, fr. L.
dignitas
, fr.
dignus
worthy. See
Deign
, and cf.
Dignity
.]
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.
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

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Daintier
;
sup
erl.
Daintiest
.]
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.
Shakespeare
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.
I would be the girdle.
About her
dainty
,
dainty
waist.
Tennyson.
4.
Requiring dainties. Hence: Overnice; hard to please; fastidious; squeamish; scrupulous; ceremonious.
Thew were a fine and
dainty
people.
Bacon.
And let us not be
dainty
of leave-taking,
But shift away.
Shakespeare
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.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition

Dainty

DA'INTY

,
Adj.
1.
Nice; pleasing to the palate; of exquisite taste; delicious; as dainty food.
2.
Delicate; of acute sensibility; nice in selecting what is tender and good; squeamish; soft; luxurious; as a dainty taste or palate; a dainty people.
3.
Scrupulous in manners; ceremonious.
4.
Elegant; tender; soft; pure; neat; effeminately beautiful; as dainty hands or limbs.
5.
Nice; affectedly fine; as a dainty speaker.

DA'INTY

,
Noun.
1.
Something nice and delicate to the taste; that which is exquisitely delicious; a delicacy.
Be not desirous of dainties, for they are deceitful meat. Prov. xxiii
2.
A term of fondness.
Why, that's my dainty. Shak.

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