taste bud

noun

: an end organ mediating the sensation of taste and lying chiefly in the epithelium of the tongue

Examples of taste bud in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Aside from delighting the taste buds of curious tourists and hardy locals alike, lobster contributes more than $1 billion to the state’s economy. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

Behold the kingdom of golden arches, where Big Macs reign supreme, salty fries slide into ubiquitous red containers, and McFlurries dance on taste buds all year long. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026

Southerners will instantly recognize this handheld staple, with the first bite bound to kickstart all kinds of reminiscing about the last time a melty, gooey, baked ham-and-cheese slider hit the taste buds. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 June 2026

Due to their intense sweetness, the use of sugar alternatives may make taste buds less sensitive to sweet flavors. —Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for taste bud

• waterflood
• blood
• crud
• dud
• flood
• mud
• rud
• scud
• spud
• stud
• thud
• lifeblood

Kids Definition

taste bud

noun

: any of the sense organs by means of which taste is recognized and which are usually on the surface of the tongue

Medical Definition

taste bud

noun

: an end organ that mediates the sensation of taste, lies chiefly in the epithelium of the tongue and especially in the walls of the circumvallate papillae, and consists of a conical or flask-shaped mass made up partly of supporting cells and partly of neuroepithelial sensory cells terminating peripherally in short hairlike processes which project into the pore in the overlying epithelium and by which communication with the mouth cavity is effected