late 14c., "delightfulness; fastidiousness; quality of being addicted to sensuous pleasure," from delicate + abstract noun suffix -cy. Meaning "fine food, a dainty viand" is from early 15c. Meaning "fineness, softness, tender loveliness" is from 1580s; that of "weakness of constitution" is from 1630s.
Entries linking to delicacy
delicate adj.
late 14c., of persons, "self-indulgent, loving ease;" also "sensitive, easily hurt, feeble;" of things, "delightful," from Latin delicatus "alluring, delightful, dainty," also "addicted to pleasure, luxurious, effeminate," in Medieval Latin "fine, slender;" related to deliciae "pleasure, delight, luxury," and delicere "to allure, entice," from de "away" (see de-) + lacere "to lure, entice," which is of uncertain origin. Compare delicious, delectable, delight.
Meaning "so fine or tender as to be easily broken" is recorded from 1560s. Meaning "requiring nice and skillful handling" is by 1742. Sense of "exquisitely adjusted in construction" is from 1756. Related: Delicateness.
-cy
abstract noun suffix of quality or rank, from Latin -cia, -tia, from Greek -kia, -tia, from abstract ending -ia (see -ia) + stem ending -c- or -t-. The native correspondents are -ship, -hood.
delicacies n.
"things dainty and gratifying to the palate," early 15c., plural of delicacy in the "fine food" sense.
