exquisite
[ ik-skwiz-it, ek-skwi-zit ]
/ ɪkˈskwɪz ɪt, ˈɛk skwɪ zɪt /
adjective
noun
Archaic. a person, especially a man, who is excessively concerned about clothes, grooming, etc.; dandy; coxcomb.
SYNONYMS FOR exquisite
3 poignant.
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Origin of exquisite
1400–50; late Middle English <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
pronunciation note for 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. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for exquisite
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
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for exquisite
exquisite
[ ĕk′skwĭ-zĭt, ĭk-skwĭz′ĭt ]
n.
Extremely intense, keen, or sharp. Used of pain or tenderness.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.