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3 definitions found

From: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

 Dain·ty, a. [Compar. Daintier superl. Daintiest.]
 1. Rare; valuable; costly. [Obs.]
    Full many a deynté horse had he in stable.   --Chaucer.
 Note: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.   --Shak.
 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.   --Shak.
 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.
 

From: WordNet (r) 2.0

 daintier
      See dainty

From: WordNet (r) 2.0

 dainty
      adj 1: affectedly dainty or refined [syn: mincing, niminy-piminy,
              prim, twee]
      2: of delicate composition and artistry; "a dainty teacup"; "an
         exquisite cameo" [syn: exquisite]
      3: especially pleasing to the taste; "a dainty dish to set
         before a kind"; "a tasty morsel" [syn: tasty]
      4: excessively fastidious and easily disgusted; "too nice about
         his food to take to camp cooking"; "so squeamish he would
         only touch the toilet handle with his elbow" [syn: nice,
          overnice, prissy, squeamish]
      n : something considered choice to eat [syn: delicacy, goody,
           kickshaw, treat]
      [also: daintiest, daintier]