Definition of MOUTHFEEL

Did You Know?

Do you sometimes find yourself trying to describe a concept or phenomenon for which you don't have a word? In such cases, it is not unusual for people to coin neologisms (new words or expressions) to describe such concepts or phenomena - the pink glow on the underside of gray clouds right before sunset, for example, or the sensation created in the mouth by a particular item of food or drink. Indeed, this latter concept has already been given a name, "mouthfeel," a simple combination of "mouth" and "feel" that can be used to describe the creamy warmth of a mushroom soup or the dry, velvety sensation of a pinot noir. This coinage is relatively new; its earliest known use dates back only to 1951.

Examples of mouthfeel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The dill pickle from Pucker Pickles is sweet and the mayo and Carolina seasoning (made with brown sugar and cayenne) give the burger a silky, sweet and creamy mouthfeel. — Chicago Tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Sandwiches, soups, salads and more: 20 ideas for what to eat for lunch," 17 May 2018 Both of these beers were technically well made, with nice heads, carbonation and mouthfeel. — Todd Haefer, The (appleton, USA TODAY, "Beer Man: Ommegang Candi Stout gets sweet right," 8 Apr. 2018 Peterson is working in a long, long tradition of conservatives, from Galton to Rockefeller to Reagan, using weak scientific data to give their dogma the mouthfeel of objectivity. — Laurie Penny, Longreads, "Peterson’s Complaint," 12 July 2018 The better the filter, the less sediment there will be at the end, which adds a gritty mouthfeel to your coffee, which is undesirable to many. — Jeffrey Van Camp, WIRED, "The 6 Best Cold Brew Coffee Makers You Can Buy," 22 June 2018 Kim uses chickpea rather than wheat flour—a nod to Ligurian farinata—which makes the pancake refuse to rise and gives it a dry, grainy mouthfeel. — Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, "Andersonville’s Passerotto is a tale of two peninsulas," 21 June 2018 For connoisseurs of risque humor, an oil’s mouthfeel also pairs exquisitely with jokes about extra virgins. — Ted Trautman, San Francisco Chronicle, "California’s olive oil craze: rooted in the far north counties," 7 June 2018 Drawing from several Lodi vineyards, with vines averaging 86 years old, this wine had a silky mouthfeel that delivered jammy berries and dark fruit, herbs, damp earth, cigar box and a mocha finish. — Michael Austin, chicagotribune.com, "15 zinfandels to drink with whatever meat you're grilling," 23 May 2018 Having a lower overrun, a term that refers to the amount of air incorporated into ice cream, also contributes to an appealing mouthfeel, according to Simons. — Lisa Drayer, CNN, "What makes ice cream so addictive?," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mouthfeel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.