English Dictionary

Definition of “taste”

taste (teɪst Pronunciation for taste

Definitions

noun

  1. the sense by which the qualities and flavour of a substance are distinguished by the taste buds
  2. the sensation experienced by means of the taste buds
  3. the act of tasting
  4. a small amount eaten, drunk, or tried on the tongue
  5. a brief experience of something ⇒ a taste of the whip
  6. a preference or liking for something; inclination ⇒ to have a taste for danger
  7. the ability to make discerning judgments about aesthetic, artistic, and intellectual matters; discrimination ⇒ to have taste
  8. judgment of aesthetic or social matters according to a generally accepted standard ⇒ bad taste
  9. discretion; delicacy ⇒ that remark lacks taste
  10. (obsolete) the act of testing

verb

  1. to distinguish the taste of (a substance) by means of the taste buds
  2. usually tr to take a small amount of (a food, liquid, etc) into the mouth, esp in order to test the quality ⇒ to taste the wine
  3. often foll by of to have a specific flavour or taste ⇒ the tea tastes of soap, this apple tastes sour
  4. when intr, usually foll by of to have an experience of (something) ⇒ to taste success
  5. tr an archaic word for enjoy
  6. tr (obsolete) to test by touching

Derived Forms

ˈtastable adjective

Word Origin

C13: from Old French taster, ultimately from Latin taxāre to appraise

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= bit, bite, drop, swallow, sip, mouthful, touch, sample, dash, nip, spoonful, morsel, titbit, soupçon
= experience, contact with, exposure to, impression, participation in, involvement with, familiarity with
= have a flavour of, smack of, savour of
= experience, know, undergo, partake of, feel, encounter, meet with, come up against, have knowledge of,

Quotations including 'taste'

  • "Taste is the feminine of genius" Edward Fitzgerald
  • "No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public" H.L. Mencken
  • "Taste is the only morality. Tell me what you like, and I'll tell you who you are" John Ruskin
  • "Taste is the enemy of creativeness" Pablo Picasso
  • "There's no accounting for tastes"
  • "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"
  • "One man's meat is another man's poison"

Translations for 'taste'

  • British English: tastePronunciation for taste Your sense of taste is your ability to recognize the flavour of things with your tongue....an excellent sense of taste.teɪst NOUNsense
  • Arabic: ذَوْقPronunciation for ذَوْق
  • Brazilian Portuguese: gostoPronunciation for gosto
  • Chinese: 味道Pronunciation for 味道
  • Croatian: okusPronunciation for okus
  • Czech: chuťPronunciation for chuť
  • Danish: smagPronunciation for smag
  • Dutch: smaakPronunciation for smaak
  • European Spanish: gustoPronunciation for gustosabor
  • Finnish: makuPronunciation for maku
  • French: goûtPronunciation for goût
  • German: GeschmackPronunciation for Geschmack Geschmäcker
  • Greek: γεύσηPronunciation for γεύση
  • Italian: gustoPronunciation for gusto
  • Japanese: Pronunciation for 味
  • Korean: Pronunciation for 맛
  • Norwegian: smakPronunciation for smak
  • Polish: smakPronunciation for smak
  • Portuguese: gostoPronunciation for gosto
  • Romanian: gust gusturi
  • Russian: вкусPronunciation for вкус
  • Spanish: gustoPronunciation for gustosabor
  • Swedish: smakPronunciation for smak
  • Thai: รสชาติPronunciation for รสชาติ
  • Turkish: tatPronunciation for tat
  • Ukrainian: смак
  • Vietnamese: vịPronunciation for vịnếm
  • British English: tastePronunciation for taste If food or drink tastes of something, it has that particular flavour.The tea tasted of lemon.teɪst VERB
  • Arabic: يَتَذَوَّقُPronunciation for يَتَذَوَّقُ
  • Brazilian Portuguese: saberPronunciation for saber
  • Chinese: 品尝Pronunciation for 品尝
  • Croatian: imati okusPronunciation for imati okus
  • Czech: chutnatPronunciation for chutnat --
  • Danish: smagePronunciation for smage
  • Dutch: proevenPronunciation for proeven
  • European Spanish: saberPronunciation for saber
  • Finnish: maistaaPronunciation for maistaa
  • French: avoir le goût dePronunciation for avoir le goût de
  • German: schmeckenPronunciation for schmecken
  • Greek: γεύομαιPronunciation for γεύομαι
  • Italian: assaggiarePronunciation for assaggiare
  • Japanese: 味をみるPronunciation for 味をみる
  • Korean: 맛보다Pronunciation for 맛보다
  • Norwegian: smakePronunciation for smake
  • Polish: skosztowaćPronunciation for skosztować kosztować
  • Portuguese: saberPronunciation for saber
  • Romanian: a avea gust de
  • Russian: пробоватьPronunciation for пробовать
  • Spanish: degustarPronunciation for degustar
  • Swedish: smakaPronunciation for smaka
  • Thai: มีรสชาติPronunciation for มีรสชาติ
  • Turkish: tatmakPronunciation for tatmak
  • Ukrainian: мати смак
  • Vietnamese: có vịPronunciation for có vị
  • British English: taste A person's taste is their choice in the things that they like or buy, for example, their clothes, possessions, or music. NOUNHis taste in clothes is extremely good.choice
  • Brazilian Portuguese: gosto
  • Chinese: 味觉味觉覺
  • European Spanish: gusto
  • French: goût
  • German: Geschmack
  • Italian: gusto
  • Japanese: 味覚
  • Korean: 미각
  • Portuguese: gosto
  • Spanish: gusto

Example Sentences Including 'taste'

Elsewhere you can take part in this year's Big Draw, or keep your taste buds satisfied at the Mendip Food & Drink Festival.
Country Life (2004)
He is deeply cultured and has exquisite taste , and his manners are inconspicuously refined.
Globe and Mail (2003)
He's a smart, literate writer with the confidence and good taste to avoid simply showing off.
Globe and Mail (2003)
In like manner his accession to that leadership, in the summer of 1996, left a bad taste in the mouth.
Glasgow Herald (2001)
Maybe a solution will come to us once we've woken up our taste buds.
Val McDermid THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)
On the whole, despite the educational arguments, it all verges a little too much on the kitsch for my taste.
Anthony Masters CASCADES - THE DAY OF THE DEAD (2001)
She had to force herself to eat, try to ignore the taste of blood, hide her gagging.
Tracy Chevalier THE VIRGIN BLUE (2002)
The last couple of days have given me a taste for seeing what goes on in my business.
Val McDermid THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)
The same linguistic arbiters of taste will find little to complain about on that in the new book.
Glasgow Herald (2001)

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