savour
UK /ˈseɪvə/ · US /ˈseɪvəɹ/ noun, verb
Forms savours savouring savoured savourest savorest savouredst savoredst savoureth savoreth savor
- noun (countable) An aroma or smell.
- noun (uncountable) The quality which the sense of taste detects; also (countable), a specific flavour or taste, especially one different from the predominant one.
- noun (countable, chiefly in the negative) An appealing or appetizing flavour, especially one which is savoury or strong.
- noun (countable) A distinctive sensation like a flavour or taste, or an aroma or smell.
- noun (countable) A particular quality, especially a small amount of it; a hint or trace of something.
- noun (countable, chiefly in the negative) A quality which is appealing or enjoyable; merit, value.
- noun (countable, archaic) A reputation.
- noun (uncountable) Enjoyment or taste for something; appreciation; pleasure; relish; (countable) an instance of this.
- verb To detect (a flavour or taste, or food or drink); to taste; specifically, to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink); to relish. “He closed his eyes so he could really savour his dessert.”
- verb To give (food or drink) flavour; to flavour, to season.
- verb (archaic) To detect (an aroma or smell, especially an appealing one); to smell.
- verb To enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner; to appreciate, to delight in, to relish.
- verb (chiefly in the negative) To find (something) appealing; to appreciate, to like.
- verb (archaic) To possess (a particular, often negative, quality), especially a small amount of it; to be redolent or suggestive of (something).
- verb (obsolete) To be appealing to (a person, the senses, etc.).
- verb (obsolete) To experience, perceive, or understand (something).
Synonyms
tinge care for relish flavor flavour sapidity savor smack nip tang taste enjoy bask
Etymology
From Middle English savour, from Anglo-Norman saveur, savor, savour, and Old French saveur, savor, savour (modern French saveur), from Latin sapor, from sapiō (“to taste of (something); to have a flavour”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁p-, *sep- (“to taste; to try out”)) + -or (suffix forming third-declension masculine abstract nouns). Doublet of sapor.
From Middle English savouren, savour, from Anglo-Norman savorer, savourer, Middle French savorer, savourer, and Old French savorer, savourer (modern French savourer), from Late Latin sapōrāre, the present active infinitive of sapōrō (“to give flavour, make tasty; to give pleasure”), from Latin sapor (see etymology 1) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “savour”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details