delicatus

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, paidikôn, 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.