Daintier

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Dainty \Dain"ty\, a. [Compar. {Daintier}; superl. {Daintiest}.]
     1. Rare; valuable; costly. [Obs.]
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              Full many a deynt['e] horse had he in stable.
                                                    --Chaucer.


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     Note: Hence the proverb "dainty maketh dearth," i. e., rarity
           makes a thing dear or precious.
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     2. Delicious to the palate; toothsome.
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              Dainty bits
              Make rich the ribs.                   --Shak.
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     3. Nice; delicate; elegant, in form, manner, or breeding;
        well-formed; neat; tender.
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              Those dainty limbs which nature lent
              For gentle usage and soft delicacy.   --Milton.
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              I would be the girdle.
              About her dainty, dainty waist.       --Tennyson.
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     4. Requiring dainties. Hence: Overnice; hard to please;
        fastidious; squeamish; scrupulous; ceremonious.
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              Thew were a fine and dainty people.   --Bacon.
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              And let us not be dainty of leave-taking,
              But shift away.                       --Shak.
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     {To make dainty}, to assume or affect delicacy or
        fastidiousness. [Obs.]
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              Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you all
              Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,
              She, I'll swear, hath corns.          --Shak.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  daintier
       See {dainty}

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  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}]