SINCE 1828
savor
noun
sa·vor
| \ ˈsā-vər
\
\
variants:
or less commonly savour
Definition of savor
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: the taste or smell of something
2
: a particular flavor or smell
3
: a distinctive quality
savor
verb
variants:
or less commonly savour
savored
also savoured;
savoring
also savouring\ ˈsā-vər-iŋ ,
ˈsāv-riŋ
\
ˈsāv-riŋ
\
Definition of savor (Entry 2 of 2)
: to have a specified smell or quality : smack
1
: to give flavor to : season
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Other Words from savor
Noun
savorless
\ ˈsā-vər-ləs
\
adjective
\
adjective
savorous
\ ˈsā-vər-əs ,
ˈsāv-rəs
\
adjective
ˈsāv-rəs
\
adjective
Verb
savorer
\ ˈsā-vər-ər
\
noun
\
noun
Examples of savor in a Sentence
Noun
Without her love, life has lost its savor for me. a gourmet who can identify the ingredients in any dish solely by their savorVerb
He savored the aroma of the baking pies. They savored every last morsel of food. She was just savoring the moment. The team is still savoring its victory. He savored the memories of his vacation.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The chicken piccata is chicken piccata, but the hormone-free meat is more tender than usual, and the sauce fortified with fresh stock is lighter, but still full of flavor, with a lemony, lingering savor. — Craig Laban, Philly.com, "Jersey Shore restaurants offer tasty food options from Cape May to LBI," 29 June 2018 Handcraft never ceases to impress Lovers of craft had lots of savor at NYCxDesign this year. — Jenny Xie, Curbed, "All the NYCxDesign 2018 highlights you should know," 30 May 2018 The tri-tip was unfortunately dry and might have been better sliced rather than cubed, but the onion rings on top added savor. — Kate Washington, sacbee, "Rancho Cordova's Back to the 80's Café is, like, totally rad | The Sacramento Bee," 9 Mar. 2018 The Israeli pianist David Greilsammer savors bold juxtapositions in his programming, as evidenced by a 2014 recording that placed the 18th-century keyboard works of Domenico Scarlatti in intimate dialogue with the music of John Cage. — Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, "Sparkling Mozart, spellbinding Donizetti, and dancing Bach," 8 Mar. 2018 Shrimp on sugarcane – a paste that’s a little sweet, with a briny savor – was a great counterpoint to small nibbles of those wildly hot chile peppers. — Kate Washington, sacbee, "Dining review: Get your ‘broken rice’ fix at South Sacramento Com Tam Dat Thanh | The Sacramento Bee," 9 Feb. 2018 His mercurial jurisprudence replicates and even gives the savor of legitimacy to a closely divided country. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "Anthony Kennedy Can’t Be Allowed to Die," 23 Jan. 2018 Food at Pujol is prepared in a kitchen with no burners or sauté pans, most dishes seared on a wood grill and finished in an oven to preserve the familiarly Mexican savor of smoke. — Guy Trebay, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Food-and-Art Bender in Mexico City," 20 Dec. 2017 Tiger nut—not a nut but a little sedge tuber—is very sweet and very beige, with tiny particles floating throughout and a faint savor of rubber. — Vogue, "Exploring the Wild World of Milk Alternatives," 15 Dec. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Christmas, like life, refuses to stand still, underscoring the importance of savoring every moment. — Danny Heitman, WSJ, "An Ode to Holiday Companionship," 21 Dec. 2018 All presidents have had their favorite retreats: George H.W. Bush’s family had a compound in Kennebunkport, Maine; George W. Bush loved his ranch in Crawford, Texas; and Barack Obama savored winter getaways to his home state of Hawaii. — Jill Colvin, The Seattle Times, "Trump arrives at his comfort zone at ‘winter White House’," 20 Nov. 2018 The result has me eager to get a Blu-ray copy and savor its sight-gag density. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Wreck-It Ralph 2 review: Everything we wish Ready Player One had been," 21 Nov. 2018 For all their foibles, which Ms. Orlean plainly savors, none of these early leaders kept the Los Angeles City Library from succeeding. — Jane Kamensky, WSJ, "‘The Library Book’ Review: The People’s Palace," 11 Oct. 2018 Deer Park is savoring this offseason as District 22-6A champions. — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, "Flynn ready to tackle his first spring football practice," 23 Apr. 2018 Until then, Lovell is savoring the small victories. — Shane Dixon Kavanaugh, OregonLive.com, "Boyfriend who survived samurai sword attack: 'It scared the living poop out of me'," 14 Mar. 2018 And of course there are those swing chairs—perfect for savoring a breakfast of tropical fruits and tapioca—to extend the indoor-outdoor vibe. — Alison S. Cohn, Harper's BAZAAR, "This New Rio de Janeiro Hotel Offers Eco-Chic Vibes–in a City Known for Over-the-Top Glamour," 25 Sep. 2018 Hema, which expanded to more than 45 stores across China in fewer than two years, offers Chinese consumers the option to shop in-store, savor freshly cooked food on its premises, or use an app to order groceries to be delivered home. — Liza Lin, WSJ, "Daniel Zhang, Alibaba’s Next Chairman, Fancies Himself a Free Spirit," 10 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'savor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for savor
savor
noun
English Language Learners Definition of savor
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a good taste or smell
: the quality that makes something interesting or enjoyable
savor
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of savor (Entry 2 of 2)
: to enjoy the taste or smell of (something) for as long as possible
: to enjoy (something) for a long time
See the full definition for savor in the English Language Learners Dictionary
savor
noun
sa·vor
| \ ˈsā-vər
\
\
Kids Definition of savor
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the taste or smell of something
… the air was full of the savor of clover fields …— Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables the savor of fresh mint
savor
verb
savored;
savoring
Kids Definition of savor (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to taste or smell with pleasure
I savored my meal.
2
: to delight in
The team savored its victory.
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