Definition of organoleptic
- organoleptic research
- organoleptic evaluation of foods
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English speakers first got a taste of "organoleptic" in an 1852 translation of a French chemistry textbook. Its spelling is an Anglicization of the French word organoleptique, which derives from "organ" (same meaning as in English) and Greek lēptikos, meaning "disposed to take or accept." "Lēptikos" is also an ingredient in "neuroleptic" (a type of powerful tranquilizer). The parent of "lēptikos" - the verb lambanein, meaning "to take or seize" - contributed to the formation of several English words, including "epilepsy" and "syllable."
First Known Use: 1852
in the meaning defined at sense 1
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