zest

noun

1
: a piece of the peel of a citrus fruit (such as an orange or lemon) used as flavoring
2
: an enjoyably exciting quality : piquancy
adds zest to the performance
3
: keen enjoyment : relish, gusto
has a zest for living
zestful adjective
zestfully adverb
zestfulness noun
zestless adjective

Did you know?

Zest can spice up your life—fitting for a word that English acquired from the world of cooking. Zest comes from French zeste, the name for orange or lemon peel used to flavor food or drinks. English speakers adopted the French meaning and developed an additional one referring to any quality that adds enjoyment to something in the same way that the zest of an orange or lemon adds flavor to food.

Examples of zest in a Sentence

His humor added zest to the performance. His humor added a certain zest to the performance. The recipe calls for a tablespoon of lemon zest.
Recent Examples on the Web Whisk together egg yolks and 2 teaspoons of the zest in a large bowl until combined and aerated, about 30 seconds. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2024 On average, one lime yields about 2 teaspoons of zest. Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2024 Lemon juice 3 dashes of Angostura bitters Garnish with the zest from a lemon zest Instructions: To make the cocktail, combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 24 July 2024 While lemon is not the shining star in this recipe, the little bit of zest is an essential part of the flavor and freshness. Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for zest 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

obsolete French (now zeste), orange or lemon peel (used as flavoring)

First Known Use

circa 1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of zest was circa 1674

Dictionary Entries Near zest

Cite this Entry

“Zest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zest. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

zest

noun
1
: a piece of the peel of a citrus fruit (as an orange or lemon) used as a flavoring
2
: a quality that increases enjoyment
added zest to the performance
3
: keen enjoyment : relish
has a zest for life
zestful adjective
zestfully adverb
zestfulness noun
zesty
ˈzes-tē
adjective
Etymology

from obsolete French zest (now zeste) "orange or lemon peel used for flavoring"

Word Origin
Zest was borrowed into English in the 17th century from the French zest (now spelled zeste), meaning "an orange or lemon peel." Where the French got the word we do not know. The peels of oranges and lemons are sometimes used to add flavor to food and drinks. The earliest uses of zest in English refer to the peel of such fruit used in this way. By the early 18th century, however, zest had developed another meaning. It was used to refer to a quality that adds enjoyment to something, in the same way that the zest of an orange or lemon adds flavor to food.

More from Merriam-Webster on zest

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