1. (

• delicate

) exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury; "a delicate violin passage"; "delicate china"; "a delicate flavor"; "the delicate wing of a butterfly" ;

2. (

• delicate

) marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique; "a surgeon's delicate touch" ;

3. (

• delicate ,
• fragile ,
• frail

) easily broken or damaged or destroyed; "a kite too delicate to fly safely"; "fragile porcelain plates"; "fragile old bones"; "a frail craft" ;

4. (

• delicate ,
• soft

) easily hurt; "soft hands"; "a baby's delicate skin" ;

5. (

• finespun ,
• delicate

) developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety; "the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense" ;

6. (

• delicate ,
• ticklish ,
• touchy

) difficult to handle; requiring great tact; "delicate negotiations with the big powers"; "hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter"; "a touchy subject" ;

7. (

• delicate

) of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely; "almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments" ;