delicious
UK[dɪˈlɪʃəs]US[dɪˈlɪʃəs]
adj
Having a very pleasant taste or smell
Morpheme Breakdown
de
lic
ious
de
completely
lic
entice, allure
ious
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word "delicious" originates from the Old French term delicieux, which itself evolved from the Late Latin deliciosus, meaning "delightful" or "giving great pleasure". This Latin adjective was formed from the noun deliciae, meaning "delight" or "allurement", a word built upon the verb delicere ("to allure, entice away"), combining the intensive prefix de- with lacere ("to lure"). The core semantic journey is from the literal sense of "alluring" to the more specific modern meaning of "highly pleasing to the senses of taste or smell". Thus, the word's logic flows from the concept of being thoroughly enticing to the senses.
Analysis
Structure: de (completely) + lic (entice, allure) + ious (adjective suffix)
- de: A Latin prefix meaning "completely" or "thoroughly".
- lic: A root derived from Latin licere, meaning "to entice, allure, or be pleasing".
- ious: A Latin-derived adjectival suffix meaning "full of" or "characterized by".
Examples
The chef prepared a delicious meal with fresh herbs from the garden.
There was a delicious aroma of baking bread wafting from the kitchen.
She took a bite of the ripe peach and found it absolutely delicious.