toothsome

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adjective tooth·some \ ˈtüth-səm \

Definition of toothsome

1 a :agreeable, attractive

b :sexually attractive

a toothsome blonde

2 :of palatable flavor and pleasing texture :delicious

crisp toothsome fried chicken

—

toothsomely

adverb

—

toothsomeness

noun

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Examples of toothsome in a Sentence

the movie star and his supermodel girlfriend are considered the most toothsome couple in Hollywood

Recent Examples of toothsome from the Web

A host of cities and towns have adopted this delicious fruit (which, by the way, is not technically a berry) as their toothsome icon of excellence.

— logan jenkins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "On Memorial Day Weekend, hearts are at half-staff but spirits light," 26 May 2017
But, let’s be real, most veggie-centric tacos lack the qualities that make the meaty versions great: that juicy, toothsome texture and deep umami flavor.

— danielle walsh, Bon Appetit, "A Vegan Chorizo Taco That Actually Tastes Like, Well, Chorizo," 13 Apr. 2017
Comcast has until Thursday to come up with a more toothsome offer.

— david lazarus, WIRED, "Dow Drops, Tech Stocks Tumble," 4 May 1999

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

Did You Know?

One meaning of tooth is "a fondness or taste for something specified." Toothsome comes from this definition of tooth plus the suffix -some, meaning "characterized by." Although toothsome was at first used to describe general attractiveness, it quickly developed a second sense that was specific to the sense of taste (perhaps because from as far back as Chaucer’s time, tooth could also refer specifically to eating and the sense of taste). In addition, toothsome is now showing signs of acquiring a third sense, toothy (as in "a toothsome grin"), but this sense is not yet established enough to qualify for dictionary entry.

First Known Use of toothsome

1551

toothsome Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of toothsome

palatable, appetizing, savory, tasty, toothsome mean agreeable or pleasant especially to the sense of taste. palatable often applies to something that is found to be merely agreeable.

- butterflies that birds find palatable

appetizing suggests a whetting of the appetite and applies to aroma and appearance as well as taste.

- appetizing hors d'oeuvres

savory applies to both taste and aroma and suggests piquancy and often spiciness.

- dumplings with savory fillings

tasty implies a pronounced taste.

- a tart and tasty pie

toothsome stresses the notion of agreeableness and sometimes implies tenderness or daintiness.

- an enticing array of toothsome desserts

TOOTHSOME Defined for English Language Learners

toothsome

play

adjective

Definition of toothsome for English Language Learners

: having a pleasing taste

TOOTHSOME Defined for Kids

toothsome

play

adjective tooth·some \ ˈtüth-səm \

Definition of toothsome for Students

:pleasing to the taste :delicious

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for toothsome

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toothsome

Definition of toothsome

toothsomely

toothsomeness

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toothsome was our Word of the Day on 09/23/2017. Hear the podcast!

Examples of toothsome in a Sentence

Recent Examples of toothsome from the Web

Did You Know?

First Known Use of toothsome

toothsome Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of toothsome

TOOTHSOME Defined for English Language Learners

toothsome

Definition of toothsome for English Language Learners

TOOTHSOME Defined for Kids

toothsome

Definition of toothsome for Students

Learn More about toothsome

Seen and Heard

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