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exquisite

[ ik-skwiz-it, ek-skwi-zit ]
/ ɪkˈskwɪz ɪt, ˈɛk skwɪ zɪt /
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See synonyms for: exquisite / exquisites / exquisitely / exquisiteness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
noun
Archaic. a person, especially a man, who is excessively concerned about clothes, grooming, etc.; dandy; coxcomb.
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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”

synonym study for exquisite

1. See delicate. 2. See fine1

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

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, noun

Word 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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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