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.—
β 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.