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. 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.
