Adjective

(en adjective)

Easily broken into small fragments, crumbled, or reduced to powder.

* 1977 , (Angela Carter), The Passion of New Eve :

Spiders had woven their vague trapezes between the friable heads of dead peonies in enormous glass jars streaked with tide marks where the water had evaporated long ago.

* 1983 , (Lawrence Durrell), Sebastian'', Faber & Faber 2004 (''Avignon Quintet ), p. 1020:

This light, friable type of material offered excellent insulation against both desert heat and also the cold of darkness during the winter.

(of soil) Loose and large-grained in consistency.

(of poisons) Likely to crumble and become airborne, thus becoming a health risk

April 1987 , Old-House Journal

It is when asbestos-containing products are friable that hazardous asbestos fibers are likely to be released and sent airborne.

Adjective

(en adjective)

Easily damaged or requiring careful handling.

Those clothes are made from delicate lace.

The negotiations were very delicate .

* F. W. Robertson

There are some things too delicate and too sacred to be handled rudely without injury to truth.

* {{quote-news

, year=2012 , date=April 23 , author=Angelique Chrisafis , title=François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=The final vote between Hollande and Sarkozy now depends on a delicate balance of how France's total of rightwing and leftwing voters line up.}}

Characterized by a fine structure or thin lines.

Her face was delicate .

The spider wove a delicate web.

There was a delicate pattern of frost on the window.

Intended for use with fragile items.

Set the washing machine to the delicate cycle.

Refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; said of manners, conduct, or feelings.

delicate''' behaviour; '''delicate''' attentions; '''delicate thoughtfulness

Of weak health; easily sick; unable to endure hardship.

a delicate''' child; '''delicate health

* Shakespeare

a delicate and tender prince

(informal) Unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol.

Please don't speak so loudly: I'm feeling a bit delicate this morning.

(obsolete) Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring.

* 1360–1387 , (William Langland), (Piers Plowman) (C-text), passus IX, line 285:

Þenk þat diues for hus delicat lyf to þe deuel wente.

* circa'' 1660 , (John Evelyn) (author), , volume I of II (1901), entry for the 19th of August in 1641, page 29:

Haerlem is a very delicate town and hath one of the fairest churches of the Gothic design I had ever seen.

Pleasing to the senses; refined; adapted to please an elegant or cultivated taste.

a delicate''' dish; '''delicate flavour

Slight and shapely; lovely; graceful.

* circa'' 1603 , (William Shakespeare), ''(Othello) , act II, scene iii, lines 18 and 20–21:

:   She’s a most exquisite lady.…Indeed, she’s a most fresh and delicate creature.

Light, or softly tinted; said of a colour.

a delicate shade of blue

Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.

Highly discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite.

a delicate''' taste; a '''delicate ear for music

Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes.

a delicate thermometer