taste

/ˈtāst/

Middle English, to touch, test, taste, from Anglo-French taster, from Vulgar Latin *taxitare, frequentative of Latin taxare to touch, feel

verb

  1. to ascertain the flavor of by taking a little into the mouth

  2. to eat or drink especially in small quantities

  3. to perceive or recognize as if by the sense of taste

noun

  1. the special sense that perceives and distinguishes the sweet, sour, bitter, salty, or umami quality of a dissolved substance and is mediated by taste buds on the tongue

  2. the objective sweet, sour, bitter, salty, or umami quality of a dissolved substance as perceived by the sense of taste

  3. a sensation obtained from a substance in the mouth that is typically produced by the stimulation of the sense of taste combined with those of touch and smell : flavor

noun

  1. an end organ mediating the sensation of taste and lying chiefly in the epithelium of the tongue