LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

dēlicātus

dēlicātus (feminine dēlicāta, neuter dēlicātum, comparative dēlicātior, superlative dēlicātissimus)
Classical[deː.lɪˈkaː.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[de.liˈkaː.tus]
dēlicātissimus

Meaning

  1. adjectivealluring, charming, delightful; voluptuous
  2. adjectivesoft, tender, delicate
  3. adjectiveeffeminate, spoilt with indulgence
  4. adjectivefastidious, scrupulous
  5. adjectiveoverly-luxurious, spoiled

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativedēlicātusdēlicātadēlicātum
genitivedēlicātīdēlicātaedēlicātī
dativedēlicātōdēlicātaedēlicātō
accusativedēlicātumdēlicātamdēlicātum
ablativedēlicātōdēlicātādēlicātō
vocativedēlicātedēlicātadēlicātum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativedēlicātīdēlicātaedēlicāta
genitivedēlicātōrumdēlicātārumdēlicātōrum
dativedēlicātīsdēlicātīsdēlicātīs
accusativedēlicātōsdēlicātāsdēlicāta
ablativedēlicātīsdēlicātīsdēlicātīs
vocativedēlicātīdēlicātaedēlicāta

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

cibus delicatus
delicacies.
delicate ac molliter vivere
to live a luxurious and effeminate life.

dēlĭcātus, a, um, adj. deliciae.
I. That gives pleasure, i. e. alluring, charming, delightful; luxurious, voluptuous.
A. Prop. (class.): in illo delicatissimo litore, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 40: navigia, Suet. Vit. 10: delicatior cultus, id. Aug. 65: delicati hortuli, Phaedr. 4, 5, 26; and so often of places: muliebri et delicato ancillarum puerorumque comitatu, Cic. Mil. 10, 28: convivium, id. Att. 2, 14: voluptates (with molles and obscenae), id. N. D. 1, 40, 111 and 113; cf.: molliores et delicatiores in cantu flexiones, id. de Or. 3, 25, 98: sermo, id. Off. 1, 40, 144: omnes hominis libidines delicatissimis versibus exprimere, id. Pis. 29, 70: versiculos scribens, Cat. 50, 3.—
(b). As a flattering appellation: ubi tu es delicata? Plaut. Rud. 2, 5, 8.—
B. Transf., soft, tender, delicate (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): capella, Cat. 20, 10; cf.: puella tenellulo delicatior haedo, id. 17, 15: oves, Plin. Ep. 2, 11 fin.: Anio delicatissimus amnium, id. ib. 8, 17, 3; cf.: ad aquam, Curt. 5, 2, 9: delicatior teneriorque cauliculus, Plin. 19, 8, 41, § 137; Vulg. 1 Par. 22, 5.—
II. Addicted to pleasure; luxurious, voluptuous; and subst., a voluptuary, a wanton.
A. Prop.: adolescens, Cic. Brut. 53: pueri, id. N. D. 1, 36 fin.: juventus, id. Mur. 35, 74; cf.: odia libidinosae et delicatae juventutis, id. Att. 1, 19, 8 et saep.: quosdam e gratissimis delicatorum, i. e. of the paramours, παιδικῶν, Suet. Tit. 7; cf. in the fem.: Flavia Domitilla, Statilii Capellae delicata, id. Vesp. 3; et luxuriosus, Vulg. Deut. 28, 54; in inscriptions, delicatus and delicata simply mean favorite slave (cf. our terms valet and chamber-maid), Inscr. Orell. 2801-2805 and 4650.—
B. Transf.
1. Spoiled with indulgence, delicate, dainty, effeminate: nimium ego te habui delicatam (I have spoiled you), Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 10: equorum cursum delicati minutis passibus frangunt, Quint. 9, 9, 4; 113; id. 11, 3, 132.—
2. Fastidious, scrupulous: aures, Quint. 3, 1, 3; vah delicatus! Plaut. Mil. 4, 1, 37.—Hence, adv.: dēlĭcātē.
1. Delicately, luxuriously: delicate ac molliter vivere, Cic. Off. 1, 30, 106; cf. recubans (coupled with molliter), id. de Or. 3, 17, 63; and in the comp.: tractare iracundos (with mollius), Sen. de Ira, 3, 9: odiosa multa delicate jocoseque fecit, Nep. Alcib. 2 fin.; Vulg. Prov. 29, 21.—
2. At one's ease, tardily, slowly: conficere iter (coupled with segniter), Suet. Calig. 43: spargit se vitis, Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 179.

Origins

Judging from the meaning, from the root of dēliciae + -ātus.

Borrowings
  • Catalandelicat
  • Englishdelicatefrom Middle English delicat
  • Portuguesedelicado
  • Spanishdelicado
  • Galiciandelicado
  • Japaneseデリケートfrom Middle English delicat
  • Middle Frenchdelicat
Old French
  • Frenchdéliéfrom Old French delïé
  • Frenchdougéfrom Old French delgié
  • Frenchdeugéfrom Old French delgié
Elsewhere
  • Italiandelicato
  • Portuguesedelgadofrom Old Galician-Portuguese delgado
  • Galiciandelgadofrom Old Galician-Portuguese delgado
  • Piedmontesedlicà
  • Siciliandilicatu
  • Venetandełicato
  • Venetandełicao
Old Occitan
  • Catalandelgat
Old Spanish
  • Spanishdelgado
Old Leonese
  • Asturiandelgáu

In English words that came into English from dēlicātus

  • delicatedēlicātus
  • delicacydēlicātus
  • delicatessendēlicātus
  • delidēlicātus

Quick answers

What does dēlicātus mean in Latin?
dēlicātus, a adjective, means “alluring, charming, delightful; voluptuous; soft, tender, delicate”.
How do you pronounce dēlicātus?
In classical Latin, [deː.lɪˈkaː.tʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [de.liˈkaː.tus].
Which English words come from dēlicātus?
English words that go back to Latin dēlicātus include delicate, delicacy, delicatessen and deli.