palate

noun

pal·​ate ˈpa-lət 

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

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 on the Web

Clove, rye spice, cedar, spiced cherry, leather, and funky brown sugar BBQ sauce round out the palate. —David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025

Gorgeous plush tannins and an inspiring vein of acidity support raspberry, black cherry, vanilla, bay leaf, and lavender flavors that tease the side palate and linger into a satisfying finish. —Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 6 July 2025

Traditionally, wine spaces have been overwhelmingly white, male, and straight, the opinions, voices, and palates that have been the default. —Jacy Topps, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2025

On the palate, fresh red cherry, juicy melon, and stony minerality. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin palatum

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing palate

• cleanse the palate
• cleft palate
• hard palate
• soft palate

Rhymes for palate

• alate
• ballot
• fallot
• mallet
• palette
• pallet
• shallot

Kids Definition

palate

noun

pal·​ate ˈpal-ət 

1

: the roof of the mouth that separates the mouth from the nasal cavity and is made up of a bony front part and a soft flexible back part

2

: the sense of taste

Medical Definition

palate

noun

pal·​ate ˈpal-ət 

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