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Webster 1913 Edition

Nice

Nice

(nīs)
,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Nicer
(nī′sẽr)
;
sup
erl.
Nicest
.]
[OE., foolish, fr. OF.
nice
ignorant, fool, fr. L.
nescius
ignorant;
ne
not +
scius
knowing,
scire
to know. Perhaps influenced by E.
nesh
delicate, soft. See
No
, and
Science
.]
1.
Foolish; silly; simple; ignorant; also, weak; effeminate.
[Obs.]
Gower.
But say that we ben wise and nothing
nice
.
Chaucer.
2.
Of trifling moment; unimportant; trivial.
[Obs.]
The letter was not
nice
, but full of charge
Of dear import.
Shakespeare
4.
Overscrupulous or exacting; hard to please or satisfy; fastidious in small matters.
Curious not knowing, not exact but
nice
.
Pope.
And to taste
Think not I shall be
nice
.
Milton.
5.
Delicate; refined; dainty; pure; – of people.
Dear love, continue
nice
and chaste.
Donne.
A
nice
and subtile happiness.
Milton.
6.
Apprehending slight differences or delicate distinctions; distinguishing accurately or minutely; carefully discriminating;
as, a
nice
taste or judgment
; – of people.
“Our author happy in a judge so nice.”
Pope.
“Nice verbal criticism.”
Coleridge.
7.
Done or made with careful labor; suited to excite admiration on account of exactness; evidencing great skill; exact; fine; finished;
as,
nice
proportions,
nice
workmanship, a
nice
application
.
8.
Hence:
Exactly or fastidiously discriminated; requiring close discrimination; fine; subtle;
as, a
nice
point of law, a
nice
distinction in philosophy
.
The difference is too
nice

Where ends the virtue, or begins the vice.
Pope.
9.
Pleasing; agreeable; gratifying; delightful; good;
as, a
nice
party; a
nice
excursion; a
nice
day; a
nice
sauce, etc.
; – of events, actions, experiences.
To make nice of
,
to be scrupulous about.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Syn. – Dainty; delicate; exquisite; fine; subtle; accurate; exact; correct; precise; particular; pleasant; kind; scrupulous; punctilious; fastidious; squeamish; finical; effeminate; well-mannered; well-behaved.

Webster 1828 Edition

Nice

NICE

,
Adj.
[G. To eat dainties or sweetmeats]
1.
Properly, soft; whence, delicate; tender; dainty; sweet or very pleasant to the taste; as a nice bit; nice food.
2.
Delicate; fine; applied to texture, composition or color; as cloth of a nice texture; nice tints of color.
3.
Accurate; exact; precise; as nice proportions; nice symmetry; nice workmanship; nice rules.
4.
Requiring scrupulous exactness; as a nice point.
5.
Perceiving the smallest difference; distinguishing accurately and minutely by perception; as a person of nice taste; hence,
6.
Perceiving accurately the smallest faults, errors or irregularities; distinguishing and judging with exactness; as a nice judge of a subject; nice discernment.
Our author happy in a judge so nice.
7.
Over scrupulous or exact.
Curious, not knowing; not exact, but nice.
8.
Delicate; scrupulously and minutely cautious.
The letter was not nice, but full of charge of dear import.
Dear love, continue nice and chaste.
9.
Fastidious; squeamish.
And to taste, think not I shall be nice.
10.
Delicate; easily injured.
How nice the reputation of the maid!
11.
Refined; as nice and subtle happiness.
12.
Having lucky hits. [Not used.]
13.
Weak; foolish; effeminate.
14.
Trivial; unimportant.
To make nice, to be scrupulous.

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