But say that we ben wise and nothing nice.
--Chaucer.
2. Of trifling moment; nimportant; 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 differences 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.