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Dainty vs Savory - What's the difference?

dainty | savory |

As nouns the difference between dainty and savory

is that dainty is esteem, honour while savory is a savory snack.

As adjectives the difference between dainty and savory

is that dainty is excellent; valuable, fine while savory is tasty, attractive to the palate.

dainty

English

Noun

(dainties)
  • (obsolete) Esteem, honour.
  • A delicacy.
  • * 1719 , (Daniel Defoe), (Robinson Crusoe)
    • my case was deplorable enough, yet I had great cause for thankfulness that I was not driven to any extremities for food, but had rather plenty, even to dainties .
  • * (William Cowper)
    • [A table] furnished plenteously with bread, / And dainties , remnants of the last regale.
  • (Canada, Prairies and northwestern Ontario) A fancy cookie, pastry, or square served at a social event (usually plural).
  • (obsolete)
    • (Ben Jonson)

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (obsolete) Excellent; valuable, fine.
  • *, II.13:
    • Heliogabalus the most dissolute man of the world, amidst his most riotous sensualities, intended, whensoever occasion should force him to it, to have a daintie death.
  • Elegant; delicately small and pretty.
  • * Milton
    • Those dainty limbs which nature lent / For gentle usage and soft delicacy.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1 , passage=However, with the dainty volume my quondam friend sprang into fame. At the same time he cast off the chrysalis of a commonplace existence.}}
  • Fastidious and fussy, especially when eating.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • They were a fine and dainty people.
  • * Shakespeare
    • And let us not be dainty of leave taking, / But shift away.

    Synonyms

    * neat * petite

    References

    *

    savory

    English

    (wikipedia savory)

    Alternative forms

    * savoury (British)

    Etymology 1

    From the (etyl) savoure, from savourer, from (etyl) saporare, from sapor

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Tasty, attractive to the palate.
    • The fine restaurant presented an array of savory dishes; each was delicious.
  • Salty or non-sweet.
    • The mushrooms, meat, bread, rice, peanuts and potatoes were all good savory foods.
  • Not overly sweet.
    • The savory duck contrasted well with the sweet sauce.
  • (figuratively) Morally or ethically acceptable.
    • Readers are to be warned that quotations in this chapter contain some not so savory language.
    Synonyms
    * See also

    Noun

    (savories)
  • A snack.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2007, date=April 18, author=Florence Fabricant, title=Off the Menu, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=P*ONG On Friday the pastry chef Pichet Ong will open his own cafe, with sweets and savories served at tables and a counter. }}

    Etymology 2

    (Satureja) Possibly from (etyl) saetherie, from (etyl) satureia, influenced by or via (etyl) savereie

    Noun

    (savories)
  • Any of several Mediterranean herbs, of the genus , grown as culinary flavourings.
  • The leaves of these plants used as a flavouring.
    • Derived terms
    * summer savory * winter savory