dēlĭcĭae, ārum, f. (sing. dēlĭcĭa, ae, f.; ante-and post-class., Plaut. Truc. 5, 29; id. Rud. 2, 4, 13; id. Poen. 1, 2, 152; Inscr. Grut. 1014, 5: dēlĭcĭum, ii, n., Phaedr. 4, 1, 8; Verg. Copa, 26; Mart. 7, 50, 2; 13, 98, 1; Inscr. Orell. 680; 1724; 2679 sq.; 4394; 4958. And dēlĭcĭus, ii, m., Inscr. Don. cl. 1, 132, and ap. Gorium Columb. Liv. p. 73, no. 4) [delicio; that which allures, flatters the senses], delight, pleasure, charm, allurement; deliciousness, luxuriousness, voluptuousness, curiosities of art; sport, frolics, etc. (freq. and class.; for syn. cf.: voluptas, libido, delectatio, oblectatio, delectamentum, oblectamentum).
I Prop.: cogitatio amoenitatum ad delectationem, aut supellectilis ad delicias, aut epularum ad voluptates, Cic. Par. 1, 2; cf. Hor. Od. 4, 8, 10 et saep.: deliciarum causa et voluptatis cives Romanos cum mitella saepe vidimus, Cic. Rab. Post. 10: multarum deliciarum comes est extrema saltatio, id. Mur. 6: deliciis diffluentes, id. Lael. 15; id. Verr. 2, 4, 57; Sall. C. 31, 3; Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 31 et saep.: Herodotus Thucydidesque longissime a talibus deliciis vel potius ineptiis afuerunt, Cic. Or. 12 fin. ; cf. Quint. 1, 11, 6; 12, 8, 4: delicias facere, to play tricks, to joke, to make sport of one, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 30; id. Poen. 1, 2, 68; 83; on the contrary, to sport as lovers, Cat. 45, 24; 72, 2: amores et hae deliciae quae vocantur, Cic. Cael. 19: votorum, a dallying with, fondly prolonging , Juv. 10, 291: ecce aliae deliciae ( pretensions ) equitum vix ferendae, Cic. Att. 1, 17, 9: esse in deliciis alicui, to be any one's favorite , Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 1 fin. ; so id. Vatin. 8 fin. ; Lucr. 4, 1152: aliquid in deliciis habere, Cic. Div. 1, 34 fin. : habere aliquem in deliciis, Suet. Vit. 12: in deliciis vivere, Vulg. Apoc. 18, 9. —
II Transf., of living beings: delight, darling, sweetheart, beloved : tu urbanus scurra, deliciae popli, Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 14: mea voluptas, meae deliciae, mea vita, mea amoenitas, id. Poen. 1, 2, 152: amores ac deliciae tuae Roscius, Cic. Div. 1, 36, 79; cf. id. Att. 16, 6 fin. ; id. Phil. 6, 5; and the well-known appellation of Titus: amor ac deliciae generis humani, Suet. Tit. 1: C. Sempronium Rufum mel ac delicias tuas, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8: Corydon ardebat Alexim, Delicias domini, Verg. E. 2, 2; cf. id. ib. 9, 22, Cat. 6, 1: verba ne Alexandrinis quidem permittenda deliciis, favorite slaves , Quint. 1, 2, 7: aegrae solaque libidine fortes Deliciae, a voluptuary, minion , Juv. 4, 4; Petr. 67; Stat. S. 5, 5, 67; cf. Plutarch, Anton. 59: delicias hominis, a precious fellow! Juv. 6, 47.