palate

noun pal·ate \ ˈpa-lət \

Updated on: 6 Apr 2018

Definition of palate

1 : the roof of the mouth separating the mouth from the nasal cavity — see hard palate, soft palate

2 a : a usually intellectual taste or liking

too ornate for my palate

… I heard a little too much preaching … and lost my palate for it.
—George Eliot

b : the sense of taste

serves Korean food adapted for the American palate

See palate defined for English-language learners

See palate defined for kids

Examples of palate in a Sentence

The restaurant serves Korean food adapted for the American palate.
She's been working hard on a menu that will please the palates of all her guests.

Recent Examples of palate from the Web

The resulting whisky—made of barley and grain, the closet thing the Japanese distilleries do to making a grain—is perfect for the bourbon drinker: easy-drinking with sweet, caramel notes on the nose and fruit, wood, and spice on the palate.

— dan q. dao, GQ, "Japanese Whisky: A Guide for the Thirsty and Curious," 2 Apr. 2018
If games played in the 60s aren’t your thing, the Final Four nightcap will be your palate cleanser.

— michael beller, SI.com, "Final Four Predictions: Who Will Play For the National Championship?," 30 Mar. 2018
Her version of côt, the Loire Valley variant of malbec, is deeply purple, full of boysenberry aromas, and offers a palate that is vibrant, textural, and full of life.

— ellen bhang, BostonGlobe.com, "By the Glass: It’s natural to sip wines recommended by Alice Feiring," 26 Mar. 2018
Yet both of these places, according to my palate, make beer just as good as any of the breweries listed in our bracket above.

— chris korman, For The Win, "Bracket Madness: Vote for the best craft beer brewery in the U.S.," 15 Mar. 2018
To my palate, Ruche is similar to Pinot Noir in weight, but perhaps closer to Dolcetto in flavors and aromas.

— dave eckert, kansascity, "The Italian region of Piedmont offers some top quality wines | The Kansas City Star," 6 Mar. 2018
That is, until the turn of the 20th century, when Otto Wagner introduced a palate cleanser in the form of the Austrian Postal Savings Bank building, the last site on my architecture tour.

— janelle zara, WSJ, "A Masterpiece of Modernist Architecture? I Had My Doubts," 16 Mar. 2018
Italian spaghetti, tacos and burritos, General Gau’s chicken, falafel wraps, hummus, and so many other dishes are part of the American palate.

— stephanie schorow, BostonGlobe.com, "Fast becoming a fan of Pollo Campero fried chicken," 9 Mar. 2018
But my favorite part was the unexpected earthiness of oregano that toned down the acid and lingered on the palate after each bite (shout-out to Paloma for identifying this unusual placement of a commonplace spice).

— Anchorage Daily News, "Revamped Crush offers intriguing dining choices in downtown Anchorage," 21 Feb. 2018

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