Word of the Day

: March 10, 2016

palatable

adjective PAL-uh-tuh-bul

What It Means

1 : agreeable to the palate or taste

2 : agreeable or acceptable to the mind

palatable in Context

Derrick is afraid of flying so traveling by train is the best and most palatable alternative.

"Cooking with a special someone fosters a kinship, a connection, an appreciation that infuses the relationship with a sense of harmony that's as palatable as the aromas that linger on in memory long after the meal has been consumed." — Silvia Bianco, quoted in The Darien (Connecticut) Times, 4 Feb. 2016

Did You Know?

Palatable comes from palate, a Latin-derived word for the roof of the mouth. The palate was once thought of as the seat of the sense of taste, so the word eventually came to mean "sense of taste," or broadly, "liking." Palatable has been used in English to refer to palate-pleasing foods since 1619, but it isn't our only—or our oldest—adjective for agreeable tastes. Savory dates from the 14th century. Toothsome has been around since 1551. Tasty was first used in the early 17th century. And appetizing has been gracing culinary reviews since 1653.