taste

verb

\ ˈtāst

tasted; tasting

Definition of taste

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to ascertain the flavor of by taking a little into the mouth

2 : to eat or drink especially in small quantities

3 : to perceive or recognize as if by the sense of taste

4 : to become acquainted with by experience has tasted the frustration of defeat

5 archaic : appreciate, enjoy

intransitive verb

1 : to have a specific flavor the apple tastes sour

2 : to eat or drink a little

3 : to test the flavor of something by taking a small part into the mouth

4 : to have perception, experience, or enjoyment : partake —often used with of

taste

noun

Definition of taste (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the objective sweet, sour, bitter, salty, or umami quality of a dissolved substance as perceived by the sense of taste

2a : a sensation obtained from a substance in the mouth that is typically produced by the stimulation of the sense of taste combined with those of touch and smell : flavor

b : the distinctive quality of an experience that gruesome scene left a bad taste in my mouth

3 : the special sense that perceives and distinguishes the sweet, sour, bitter, or salty quality of a dissolved substance and is mediated by taste buds on the tongue

4a : a small amount tasted

b : a small amount : bit especially : a sample of experience her first taste of success

c obsolete : the act of tasting

5 : individual preference : inclination

6a : critical judgment, discernment, or appreciation

b : manner or aesthetic quality indicative of such discernment or appreciation

7 obsolete : test

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Examples of taste in a Sentence

Verb

The pie tasted too sweet. The wine tastes like vinegar. She said there was garlic in the sauce, but I couldn't really taste it. Have you ever tasted anything so delicious? I tasted the tea and put more sugar in it. She offered to taste the wine. He tasted the tea to see if it was sweet enough. This is the first food I've tasted since yesterday. She talked about the day when she first tasted the joy of flying. He has tasted the frustration of defeat.

Noun

The wine had a slightly bitter taste. She likes the taste of apples and cinnamon. I detected a strong taste of ginger in the sauce. The illness affected her sense of taste.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Our challenge is to taste as much as possible of Palisade’s 20 or so wineries, which are spread out over several miles. — Allyson Reedy, The Know, "Your ultimate Palisade wine tour: How to bike to 7 wineries in one day," 2 July 2019 All business was suspended until noon…Everybody invited everybody to dinner, to taste of claret and beer cooled by the American importation. — Srinath Raghavan, Quartz India, "Imported US ice helped 19th century British officials beat Indian heat waves," 17 June 2019 Season to taste with salt, usually about ¼ teaspoon. — Jeanmarie Brownson, chicagotribune.com, "Whether chorizo or brats, you can't mark Father's Day without sausage," 11 June 2019 Serve at room temperature, sliced into wedges, seasoned to taste with more salt and pepper, and garnished with additional flowers. — Genevieve Ko, latimes.com, "How to make a frittata with edible flowers for your next dinner party," 10 June 2019 Praeger's, known for making veggie burgers that taste like veggie burgers, is expanding into fake meat. — Danielle Wiener-bronner, CNN, "Dr. Praeger's, famous for its veggie burgers, launches fake meat patty," 20 June 2019 Take the time to give your protein a quick dip, or throw together a blender tomatillo sauce, and you’ll be rewarded with something that tastes great. — Becky Krystal, Washington Post, "How to make better, more flavorful burritos at home," 12 June 2019 There were concoctions from big brewers such as Sierra Nevada and smaller local brewpubs, sweet beers brewed with Jolly Ranchers and spicy ones that tasted like garlic bread or mango salsa. — Dee-ann Durbin, The Denver Post, "As craft beer market grows, so do wild flavors like Wynkoop’s Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout," 5 June 2019 The genetics of simple traits can often be deduced from pedigrees, and people have been using that approach for millennia to selectively breed vegetables that taste better and cows that produce more milk. — Quanta Magazine, "New Turmoil Over Predicting the Effects of Genes," 23 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

This is just a little taste, a respite before the cold-weather months get here. — Marc Bona, cleveland.com, "Christmas Ale in July party set at Great Lakes Brewing Co.," 1 July 2019 Father-son connections Ted Pardee and Bucky Richardson never delved into coaching after their football careers but 7-on-7 gives them the chance to at least get a taste. — Adam Coleman, Houston Chronicle, "Soft-shell helmets debut at 7-on-7 tourney," 28 June 2019 If this river cruise is just a taste of the nuptial celebrations to come, get ready for a serious party. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Sophie Turner, Priyanka Chopra, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas Cannot Be Bothered on Their Parisian Cruise," 24 June 2019 In blackberries, there is a bitter taste that lingers. — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, "How to stop the bugs eating your tomatoes, peaches," 21 June 2019 There was still a sour taste in the mouth after Sweden knocked the Americans out of the 2016 Rio Olympics, a quarterfinal that was decided on penalty kicks. — Laken Litman, SI.com, "USA Finishes Perfect Women's World Group Run; Tough Knockout Road Awaits," 20 June 2019 His tenure there was unremarkable, but the scholarship gave him his a taste of coaching, allowing him to assist the varsity women's basketball and softball teams. — Gregory Korte, USA Today, "The rise of Rick Singer: How the mastermind of college admissions scandal built an empire on lies, exploited a broken system," 19 June 2019 This is also a taste of what all bus-riding will eventually look like in Indianapolis. — Kellie Hwang, Indianapolis Star, "Here's what riders can expect from Red Line electric buses and stations," 18 June 2019 Now, Zoe is finally giving the world a taste of her design aesthetic with the launch of home collections for Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen. — Monique Valeris, ELLE Decor, "Rachel Zoe Dishes on Her New Pottery Barn Kids Collection," 17 June 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near taste

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Last Updated

11 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for taste

The first known use of taste was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for taste

taste

verb

English Language Learners Definition of taste

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to have a particular taste

: to sense the flavor of (something that you are eating or drinking)

: to put a small amount of (food or drink) in your mouth in order to find out what its flavor is

taste

noun

English Language Learners Definition of taste (Entry 2 of 2)

: the sweet, sour, bitter, or salty quality of a thing that you can sense when it is in your mouth : the flavor that you can taste when you eat or drink something

: the ability to notice or recognize flavors when you eat or drink : the ability to taste things

: a small amount of food or drink that you have in order to see how it tastes

See the full definition for taste in the English Language Learners Dictionary

taste

verb

\ ˈtāst

tasted; tasting

Kids Definition of taste

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to find out the flavor of something by taking a little into the mouth He has never tasted mango.

2 : to have a certain flavor The milk tastes sour.

3 : to recognize by the sense of taste I can taste salt in the soup.

4 : to eat or drink usually in small amounts May I taste your dessert?

5 : experience entry 2 She has the opportunity to taste big city life.

taste

noun

Kids Definition of taste (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the sense by which sweet, sour, bitter, or salty flavors are detected through sense organs ( taste buds ) in the tongue

2 : the quality of something recognized by the sense of taste or by this together with smell and touch : flavor The fruit had a bitter taste.

3 : a small amount tasted Do you want a taste of the ice cream?

4 : a personal liking My sister has very expensive tastes.

5 : the ability to choose and enjoy what is good or beautiful He has good taste in clothes.

6 : a sample of what something is like … give them a taste of what you can do and you're in, performing for the crowd …— Karen Hesse, Out of the Dust

taste

verb

\ ˈtāst

tasted; tasting

Medical Definition of taste

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

: to ascertain the flavor of by taking a little into the mouth

intransitive verb

: to have a specific flavor the milk tastes sour

taste

noun

Medical Definition of taste (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the one of the special senses that is concerned with distinguishing the sweet, sour, bitter, or salty quality of a dissolved substance and is mediated by taste buds on the tongue

2 : the objective sweet, sour, bitter, or salty quality of a dissolved substance as perceived by the sense of taste

3 : a sensation obtained from a substance in the mouth that is typically produced by the stimulation of the sense of taste combined with those of touch and smell : flavor