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(tst), v. t.[imp. & p. p.Tasted; p. pr. & vb. n.Tasting.] [OE. tasten to feel, to taste, OF. taster, F. tater to feel, to try by the touch, to try, to taste, (assumed) LL. taxitare, fr. L. taxare to touch sharply, to estimate. See Tax, v. t.] 1. To try by the touch; to handle; as, to taste a bow. [Obs.] Chapman. Taste it well and stone thou shalt it find. Chaucer. 2. To try by the touch of the tongue; to perceive the relish or flavor of (anything) by taking a small quantity into a mouth. Also used figuratively. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine. John ii. 9. When Commodus had once tasted human blood, he became incapable of pity or remorse. Gibbon. 3. To try by eating a little; to eat a small quantity of. I tasted a little of this honey. 1 Sam. xiv. 29. 4. To become acquainted with by actual trial; to essay; to experience; to undergo. He . . . should taste death for every man. Heb. ii. 9. 5. To partake of; to participate in; -- usually with Taste v. i. 1. To try food with the mouth; to eat or drink a little only; to try the flavor of anything; as, to taste of each kind of wine. 2. To have a smack; to excite a particular sensation, by which the specific quality or flavor is distinguished; to have a particular quality or character; as, this water tastes brackish; the milk tastes of garlic. Yea, every idle, nice, and wanton reason Shall to the king taste of this action. Shak. 3. To take sparingly. For age but tastes of pleasures, youth devours. Dryden. 4. To have perception, experience, or enjoyment; to partake; as, to taste of nature's bounty. Waller. The valiant never taste of death but once. Shak. Taste n. 1. The act of tasting; gustation. 2. A particular sensation excited by the application of a substance to the tongue; the quality or savor of any substance as perceived by means of the tongue; flavor; as, the taste of an orange or an apple; a bitter taste; an acid taste; a sweet taste. 3. (Physiol.) The one of the five senses by which certain properties of bodies (called their taste, savor, flavor) are ascertained by contact with the organs of taste. Taste depends mainly on the contact of soluble matter with the terminal organs (connected with branches of the glossopharyngeal and other nerves) in the papill on the surface of the tongue. The base of the tongue is considered most sensitive to bitter substances, the point to sweet and acid substances. 4. Intellectual relish; liking; fondness; -- formerly with of, now with for; as, he had no taste for study. I have no taste Of popular applause. Dryden. 5. The power of perceiving and relishing excellence in human performances; the faculty of disc スポンサード リンク
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