What does delice mean?
"Delice" is a rare English noun meaning delight or deep pleasure, inherited through Old French from the Latin plural noun deliciae, meaning charms or delights. In earlier centuries English writers used it much as they used its synonym "delight," describing anything that afforded keen enjoyment, whether of the senses, the mind, or the heart. The word has since fallen out of ordinary use, but it enjoys a modest afterlife as a French borrowing — often written "délice" — particularly in gastronomy, where it denotes an exquisite dish, filling, or confection, as on dessert menus. Its relatives remain very much alive: "delicious," "delicacy," "delicate," and "delectable" all descend from the same Latin root, which literally suggests being lured away or enticed by pleasure. Readers who meet "delice" today will most often find it in literary, historical, or culinary settings, where it lends a note of elegance and old-world refinement.
Delight; intense pleasure or enjoyment.
"For him, reading by candlelight was the day's chief delice."
This sense is archaic and found chiefly in older English texts.
(From French, usually "délice") An exquisite dish or confection; a delicacy.
"The menu concluded with a délice of dark chocolate and sea salt."
Typically italicized or accented as a French borrowing in culinary writing.
The plural follows standard English noun inflection; in French-borrowed culinary use it may appear as "délices."
"The banquet offered a dozen delices for the guests' enjoyment."
Before we had 'delight,' English writers reached for 'delice' — a direct heir of Latin deliciae that now survives mostly on dessert menus.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of delice
"Delice" entered Middle English from Old French "delit" / "delice," ultimately from the Latin plural noun deliciae, meaning delights or charms, derived from the verb delicere, "to allure or entice." The same Latin root produced English "delicious," "delicate," "delicacy," and "delectable." While the native English sense is now archaic, the word persists in modern usage largely through direct French borrowings such as "bavarois délice" on menus, where it denotes a sumptuous sweet dish.
How delice is actually used
As a plain English noun, "delice" is archaic and appears mainly in older literature. Contemporary uses are typically marked with an accent ("délice") and borrowed directly from French, especially on menus and in food writing.
Easily confused with delice
"Delice" is a noun meaning delight itself, while "delicious" is an adjective describing something highly pleasing, especially to the taste.