Meaning & use
delicates
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“delicates” is a form of “delicate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Clothes and fabrics that are easily damaged and must be washed gently, often by hand or on a delicate cycle.
Grammar: Always plural; used with a plural verb and often with the: the delicates are in the sink.
Patterns
- wash the delicates
- the delicates are ...
- a bag for delicates
Separate your delicates from the heavy towels before you start the wash.
She washed her delicates by hand in cool water and hung them to dry.
The machine has a special cycle for delicates such as silk and lace.
nounpluralformalliterary
Small, light, expensive items, especially foods, that are considered a special treat.
Grammar: Plural and rather formal or literary; often used in the phrase 'delicates of the table' or similar.
Patterns
- a shop selling delicates
- the delicates of ...
The market stalls were full of delicates: truffles, caviar, and tiny pastries.
He brought back delicates from his travels, including rare spices and sweets.
Common combinations
- wash the delicates
- I always wash the delicates on the gentle cycle.
- delicates bag
- Put your underwear in a delicates bag before washing.
- delicates cycle
- The delicates cycle uses less heat and slower spinning.
- hand-wash delicates
- Hand-wash delicates in lukewarm water with mild soap.
- a load of delicates
- She put on a load of delicates and then went out.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lingerie
- Lingerie means women's underwear and nightclothes; delicates is wider and includes any fragile fabric items.
- fine washables
- Fine washables is a laundry term for clothes that need gentle washing; delicates is more common in everyday speech.
Word family
- delicate adjective
- Easily damaged or needing careful treatment.
- delicately adverb
- In a careful or gentle way.
- delicacy noun
- A rare or expensive food, or the quality of being delicate.
Commonly confused: delicates or delicatessen?
delicates vs delicatessen
A delicatessen is a shop selling cooked meats, cheeses, and unusual foods. Delicates refers to fragile clothes.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'delicates' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Only the fourth sentence uses 'delicates' correctly as a plural noun for fragile clothes. The first is wrong because delicates need gentle, not hot, treatment. The second is wrong because 'delicates' is plural, so it must take 'are', not 'is'. The third is wrong because a delicatessen sells food, not fragile clothes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “delicates”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.