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 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.

-- Webster's unabridged 1913