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exquisite
[ ik-skwiz-it, ek-skwi-zit ]
/ ɪkˈskwɪz ɪt, ˈɛk skwɪ zɪt /
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adjective
noun
Archaic. a person, especially a man, who is excessively concerned about clothes, grooming, etc.; dandy; coxcomb.
OTHER WORDS FOR exquisite
3 poignant.
OPPOSITES FOR exquisite
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of exquisite
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin exquīsītus “meticulous, chosen with care,” originally past participle of exquīrere “to ask about, examine,” equivalent to ex- ex-1 + -quīrere , combining form of quaerere “to seek”
how to pronounce exquisite
The pronunciation of exquisite has undergone a rapid change from [ek-skwi-zit] /ˈɛk skwɪ zɪt/ to [ik-skwiz-it], /ɪkˈskwɪz ɪt/, with stress shifting to the second syllable. The newer pronunciation is still criticized by some, but is now more common in both the U.S. and England, and many younger educated speakers are not even aware of the older one. See harass.
OTHER WORDS FROM exquisite
Words nearby exquisite
expunge, expurgate, expurgatorial, expurgatory, expwy, exquisite, exquisitely, exr., ex rights, exsanguinate, exsanguination
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use exquisite in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for exquisite
exquisite
/ (ɪkˈskwɪzɪt, ˈɛkskwɪzɪt) /
adjective
noun
obsolete a dandy
Derived forms of exquisite
exquisitely, adverbexquisiteness, nounWord Origin for exquisite
C15: from Latin exquīsītus excellent, from exquīrere to search out, from quaerere to seek
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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