exquisite
/ɪkˈskwɪzɪt/
adjective
Origin
Latin
exquirere — to search out, to inquire into
Overview
Meaning Now
- Extremely beautiful and typically delicate.
- Intense or sharp, as in a feeling or physical sensation.
- Highly sensitive or discriminating in taste or perception.
Literal older meaning
sought out
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
exquisit
Earliest period
15th century
Journey
Derived from the Latin 'exquisitus', the word originally implied something that was 'carefully sought out' or selected for its quality, eventually evolving to denote the heightened state of beauty or precision that defines the modern sense.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
exquisitus
“sought out, chosen, excellent”
Past participle of exquirere.
- Middle French
exquis
“excellent, choice”
- 15th century English
exquisite
“carefully sought out, elegant”
Connections
Word parts
ex-
prefix
out
quaerere
root
to seek
Related across languages
French
exquis
exquisite
Spanish
exquisito
exquisite
Related words
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Related to exquisite
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.