From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdaintydain‧ty1 /ˈdeɪnti/ adjective (comparative daintier, superlative daintiest) 1 SMALLsmall, pretty, and delicate a dainty gold chain a child with dainty features2 CAREFULmoving or done in a careful way, using small movements a dainty walk —daintily adverb —daintiness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
dainty• Her legs were curled to the side, slender with dainty ankles curving to small, arched feet.• Despite their dainty appearance, most of the beetles are carnivorous.• She was wearing a short black dress and dainty black sandals.• We drank Turkish coffee out of dainty china cups.• a dainty eater• She had small, dainty feet that suited her petite, elegant and meticulous person.• She had abandoned the huge earrings for dainty gold studs and wore a fine gold chain round her neck.• Nora's present from John was a lovely, dainty little diamond brooch.• Sharp little incisors showed when he smiled, matching, in dainty repulsiveness, his naked shins.• They scoured the countryside for milk, and conjured up their best skill to prepare dainty viands for her little ladyship.• a dainty white handkerchiefdaintydainty2 noun (plural dainties) [countable] old-fashioned DFFOODsomething small that is good to eat, especially something sweet such as a cakeOrigin dainty2 (1200-1300) Old French deintié, from Latin dignitas “worth”; → DIGNITY 