delicacy
UK[ˈdelɪkəsi]US[ˈdelɪkəsi]
n
a rare or expensive type of food, considered very pleasant to eat
n
the quality of being easy to damage, break, or harm; fragility
n
the quality of needing to be dealt with carefully or sensitively in order to avoid problems or failure
Morpheme Breakdown
delic
acy
delic
fine, pleasing
acy
state or quality
Etymology
the word delicacy traces its lineage to the latin adjective delicatus, which conveyed notions of being alluring, delightful, and fine. this latin term is thought to derive from deliciae, meaning "delight" or "allurement". entering english via old french delicat, the core concept of fineness and pleasing subtlety was retained. the suffix -acy, a conduit for forming abstract nouns, was appended to create a term denoting the state or quality of being delicate, which evolved to encompass both fragile physical properties and rare, exquisite foods.
Analysis
Structure: delic (fine, pleasing) + acy (state or quality)
delic is from latin delicatus meaning "alluring, delightful, fine, tender". acy is a noun-forming suffix of latin origin via old french, indicating a state, quality, or condition.
Examples
the restaurant is famous for serving local delicacies like sea urchin and abalone.
due to the delicacy of the antique lace, it must be handled with the utmost care.
the negotiations required great delicacy because of the sensitive political issues involved.