Nice (?), a. [Compar. Nicer (?); 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 diffferences 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 person; a nice day; a nice sauce, etc.
[Loosely & Colloquially]
To make nice of, to be scrupulous about. [Obs.]
Shak.
Syn. -- Dainty; delicate; exquisite; fine; accurate; exact; correct; precise; particular; scrupulous; punctilious; fastidious; squeamish; finical; effeminate; silly.
© Webster 1913.