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

But would the food live up to the hype, or would my taste buds be left doing donuts? — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2026

Foodies won’t want to miss this opportunity to treat their taste buds and expand their culinary horizons. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2026

The people featured in the 11th annual installment of this uplifting exercise help the less fortunate, tend to the environment, tempt our taste buds, help budding entrepreneurs thrive, minister to the downtrodden and more. — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

But a new sandwich shop coming downtown might try to make Idahoans’ taste buds forget that. — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 6 Aug. 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