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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Nice \Nice\ (n[imac]s), adjective [Compar. {Nicer} (n[imac]"s[~e]r); superl. {Nicest}.] [OE., foolish, fr. OF. nice ignorant, fool, fr. L. nescius ignorant; ne not + scius knowing, scire to know. Perhaps influenced by E. nesh delicate, soft. See {No}, and {Science}.]
1. Foolish; silly; simple; ignorant; also, weak; effeminate. [Obs.] --Gower.
But say that we ben wise and nothing nice. --Chaucer.
2. Of trifling moment; unimportant; trivial. [Obs.]
The letter was not nice, but full of charge Of dear import. --Shak.
3. Overscrupulous or exacting; hard to please or satisfy; fastidious in small matters.
Curious not knowing, not exact but nice. --Pope.
And to taste Think not I shall be nice. --Milton.
4. Delicate; refined; dainty; pure.
Dear love, continue nice and chaste. --Donne.
A nice and subtile happiness. --Milton.
5. Apprehending slight differences or delicate distinctions; distinguishing accurately or minutely; carefully discriminating; as, a nice taste or judgment. ''Our author happy in a judge so nice.'' --Pope. ''Nice verbal criticism.'' --Coleridge.
6. Done or made with careful labor; suited to excite admiration on account of exactness; evidencing great skill; exact; fine; finished; as, nice proportions, nice workmanship, a nice application; exactly or fastidiously discriminated; requiring close discrimination; as, a nice point of law, a nice distinction in philosophy.
The difference is too nice Where ends the virtue, or begins the vice. --Pope.
7. Pleasing; agreeable; gratifying; delightful; good; as, a nice party; a nice excursion; a nice day; a nice sauce, etc. [Loosely & Colloquially]
8. Pleasant; kind; as, a nice person. [PJC]
9. Hence: Well-mannered; well-behaved; as, nice children. [PJC]
He's making a list, checking it twice. Gonna find out who's naughty or nice Santa Claus is coming to town. --Song.
{To make nice of}, to be scrupulous about. [Obs.] --Shak.
Syn: Dainty; delicate; exquisite; fine; accurate; exact; correct; precise; particular; pleasant; kind; scrupulous; punctilious; fastidious; squeamish; finical; effeminate; silly; well-mannered; well-behaved.
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |