exquisite, a. and n.
(ˈɛkskwɪzɪt, ɪkˈskwɪzɪt)
Also 5–6 exquisyt(e, 6–8 -it.
[ad. L. exquīsīt-us, pa. pple. of exquīrĕre to search out, f. ex- out + quærĕre to search, seek.]
A. adj.
1. Sought out, ‘recherché’. † a. Of an expedient, explanation, reason: Sought out, ingeniously devised, far-fetched. Of studies: Abstruse.
| c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714) 36 He schal by necessite be artid, to fynd exquisyte [Laud MS. requisite] meanys of getting of goods. 1565 Jewel Repl. Harding (1611) 299 If this exposition seeme to M. Harding ouer exquisite, or curious. 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. ii. iii. 155, I haue no exquisite reason for't, but I haue reason good enough. 1665 G. Havers P. della Valle's Trav. E. India 8 The English..well understand all the most exquisite points of Navigation. |
† b. Of language, expression, terms: Carefully selected; aptly chosen, choice. Hence, out of the way, uncommon; in unfavourable sense, affected, over-laboured. Obs.
| c 1430 Henryson Test. Creseide xxxix, To here His faconde tonge, and termes exquisite. 1521 in Bradshaw's St. Werburge (1887) 201 Fragrant and facunde of englisshe exquisite. 1549 Compl. Scot. Prol. 16, I thocht it nocht necessair til hef fardit..this tracteit vitht exquisite termis, quhilkis ar nocht daly vsit. 1593 R. Harvey Philad. 70 If the phrase be not exquisit, or the observation not singular. 1650 R. Stapylton Strada's Low C. Warres iii. 54 Which benefit Granvel ascribed to the Dutchess, with exquisite thanks. 1698–9 Maundrell Let. in Journ. Jerus. end, The most hideous Execrations: in which way these Eastern Nations have certainly the most exquisite Rhetorick of any People upon Earth. |
c. Of meat, drink, etc.: Carefully chosen; choice, dainty, delicious (passing into sense 5).
| 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. iv. 86 The filthy desire of exquisite meates. 1585 Lloyd Treas. Health C iij, In al diseases of long continuance the pacyent most vse lytle meate & exquisite. 1671 Milton P.R. ii. 346 All Fish from Sea or Shore..of Shell or fin, And exquisitest name. 1715 Nelson Addr. Pers. Qual. 66 The Devil..nourishes himself with the most exquisite morsels. 1716 Lady M. W. Montague Lett. I. vii. 22 Eighteen different sorts [of wine] all exquisite in their kinds. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. II. 10 The Propontis..renowned for..the most exquisite fish. |
† 2. a. Carefully ascertained or adjusted; accurate, exact. Of an action, investigation, etc.; whence of persons or agents: Careful, curious, minute. Obs.
| 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1541) 52 a, The meate that shall make syckenes, must not a lyttell excede the exquisite measure. 1571 Campion Hist. Irel. vii. (1633) 22 It will be no hard matter to discry the falshood, wherein I would be more exquisite, were it worth my labour. 1581 Mulcaster Positions xli. (1887) 249 The framing of the minde..craueth exquisite consideration. 1602 W. Fulbecke 2nd Pt. Parall. 2. In the due performance of his Tithe, he was alwaies diligent and exquisite. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn i. iv. §2 A necessitie of a more exquisite trauaile in the languages originall, wherein those Authors did write. 1624 Wotton Archit. (1672) 26 There must be an exquisite care to place the Columnes precisely one over another. 1634 Milton Comus 359 Be not over exquisite To cast the fashion of uncertain evils. 1715 J. Richardson Th. Paint. 28 A curious Mechanick's Hand must be exquisite, but his Thoughts are..pretty much at Liberty. 1757 Burke Abridgm. Eng. Hist. ii. vii, Accuracy or exquisite digestion of their laws. |
† b. of knowledge. Obs.
| 1564 Golding Justine 94 Takyng his iourney first into Egipt, and afterward to Babilo..he [Pythagoras] attained to meruelous exquisite knowledge. 1651 Culpepper Astrol. Judgem. Dis. Ep. (1658) 2 To make judgement sound, is required an exquisite knowledg. |
† c. Path. [transl. Gr. ἀκριβής, rendered exquisitus in the Lat. versions of Galen.] Of a specified disease: Accurately so named; typical, genuine, as opposed to spurious. Cf. F. (fièvre) exquise.
| 1610 P. Barrough Meth. Physick v. xvi. (1639) 307 In an exquisite Erysipelas make no detraction of bloud. 1656 Ridgley Pract. Physick 136 An exquisite differs from a bastard Tertian. 1684 tr. Bonet's Merc. Compit. iv. 120 An exquisite Diabetes caused by attraction of urine. |
3. Carefully elaborated; brought to a high degree of perfection. † a. Of art, workmanship, a product of art or nature: Elaborate, highly finished, excellent. Of an action or process, a state or condition: Carried to a high degree of perfection or completeness. Obs.; merged in 4.
| 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. i. 5 They se that exquisite workmanship in al their members. 1589 Nashe Greene's Menaphon Ded. (Arb.) 13 Manie other exquisite editions of Divinitie, turned by him [Golding] out of the French tongue. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1673) 264 Forum Trajani, the most exquisite building of all the world. 1616 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 144 The hearbe called Rose-baie, or Oleander..is an exquisite remedie for this disease. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts 379 They shall make an exquisite dispatch of the inhabitants. 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. I. xxi. 250 Wherein he hath done such exquisite service to the Protestant cause. a 1711 Ken Hymns Evang. Poet. Wks. 1721 I. 52 All things which exquisitest Poysons breed. 1752 Hume Ess. & Treat. (1777) II. 193 Everything, belonging to a vain man, is the best that is any where to be found..his cookery is more exquisite. 1802 Paley Nat. Theol. viii. §3 (1819) 87 Small pipes which..might..distribute this exquisite supply to every part of the body. |
b. Of torture: Elaborately devised; hence, excruciating, intensely painful. Cf. 6.
| 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 475 He caused [them] to be put to death with most exquisit torments. 1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 13 Tortures of more exquisite device. 1672 Cave Prim. Chr. i. i. (1673) 2 Put to death with the most exquisite arts of torture. |
c. Of qualities, dispositions, habits, whether good or bad: Cultivated to a high degree of intensity; consummate, extreme. Now with some notion (in the case of bad qualities, ironical) of sense 4.
| 1552 Huloet, Exquisite or immoderate clenlines. 1648 Eikon Bas. xii, With exquisite malice they have mixed the gall and vinegar of falsitie and contempt with the cup of My Affliction. 1774 Wesley Wks. (1830) IV. 18 His exquisite want of judgement. 1818 Jas. Mill Brit. India I. ii. x. 465 note, The exquisite ignorance and stupidity of the Mysoreans in the art of war. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 54 A new religious order..animated by intense enthusiasm and organised with exquisite skill. |
† 4. Of a person, etc.: Accomplished either in good or bad things; consummate, excellent, perfect. Const. at, of, in, also to with inf. Obs.
| 1530 Palsgr. Introd. 44 If any..be desyrous to be exquisyt in the frenche tong. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 59 A bishop, so exquisite in divinity, as you are. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1673) 393 It is a creature very diligent and exquisite, both to compass, seek out and chuse the same. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 236 Regia Bander, an exquisite vilaine, murders the olde and young Moguls. 1650 R. Stapylton Strada's Low C. Warres vi. 21 Captaine Campin an exquisite Enginere. 1719 De Foe Crusoe (1840) II. xiii. 277 His honour must..be a most exquisite sloven. 1771 Franklin Autobiog. Wks. 1840 I. 82 A most exquisite mechanic, and a solid, sensible man. 1806–7 J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life (1826) xv. Introd., I made her write..to an exquisite gentleman. 1823 Scott Quentin D. xxvi, ‘I guessed he had some exquisite instructer’, said Louis. |
5. Of such consummate excellence, beauty, or perfection, as to excite intense delight or admiration. (Now the prevailing sense; in early examples a contextual use of 3, sometimes of 1 or 2.)
| 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 38 A woman so exquisite that in some mens judgement Pigmalions image was not halfe so excellent. 1611 Shakes. Cymb. i. vi. 190 Jewels, Of rich, and exqusite forme. 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 1 The youngest among them was a babe of exquisite beauty. Ibid. 51 Caused the March or Levata to be sounded..with such exquisite melodie [etc.]. 1845 L. Hunt Stories Ital. Poets I. 168 A lovely spot..enamelled with flowers that surpassed the exquisitest dyes. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. x. 67 The weather was so exquisite. 1876 Humphreys Coin-Coll. Man. xxvi. 387 The Greeks found means to invest with exquisite symmetry even a..vine leaf. 1879 G. C. Harlan Eyesight ii. 12 An exquisite adaptation of every part to the great object of the whole. 1884 Queen Victoria More Leaves 292 As we drove, the setting sun bathed the hills in crimson..the effect was exquisite. |
6. Of pain, pleasure, etc.: Intense, acute, keen.
| 1644 Bp. Hall Serm. Rem. Wks. (1660) 105 The Spirit feels more exquisite pain without the Body..then it could feel in the former conjunction with it. 1745 Fielding Tom Jones ii. vi, The distresses of the vicious..became too exquisite. 1836 Sparks Biog., Mather VI. iv. 262 She was thrown into exquisite misery. 1860 Motley Netherl. (1868) I. v. 198 It was a moment of exquisite triumph. 1865 Lecky Ration. (1878) I. iii, 320 Surgeons..have derived the most exquisite pleasure from the operations of their profession. |
7. Of the power of feeling, bodily or mental, the senses, etc.: Keenly sensitive to impressions; acutely susceptible of pain, pleasure, etc.; delicate, finely-strung.
| 1643 Prynne Sov. Power Parl. Ded. A ijb, One person of the exquisitest judgement. 1668 Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. i. xix. 51 They have an exquisite sense, and are pained when stones pass through them. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 508 ¶3 We thought him a Person of an exquisite Palate. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. II. 19 The serpent's olfactory nerves being remarkably exquisite. 1842 Macaulay Fredk. Gt. Ess. (1877) I. 660 He had an exquisite ear, and performed skilfully on the flute. 1852–9 Todd Cycl. Anat. IV. 219/1 The sensibility of the eye to light is very exquisite. |
8. quasi-adv. = exquisitely.
| 1529 More Supplic. Soulys Wks. 289/2 In perill of exquisite paynefull punyshemente. 1743 Bulkeley & Cummins Voy. S. Seas 145 They [Guanacoes] are exceeding nimble, of an exquisite quick Sight..and difficult to be shot. |
B. n. A person (usually a man) who is over-nice in dress, etc.; a coxcomb, dandy, fop.
| 1819 ‘R. Rabelais’ Abeillard & H. 34 Like modern dashing Exquisites. 1830 Arnold in Stanley Life & Corr. (1844) II. App. 388 Our exquisites imitate the outside of foreign customs without discrimination. 1849 Sir J. Stephen Eccl. Biog. (1850) I. 147 The unlucky Exquisite was degraded on the spot. 1868 M. Pattison Academ. Org. v. 241 The foppish exquisite of the drawing-room. |