Refine this word faster
Savour
Definitions
- 1 An aroma or smell. UK, countable
"And Noe [Noah] made an aulter vnto the LORDE⸝ and toke of all maner of clene beaſtes and all maner of clene foules⸝ and offred ſacrifyce vppon the aulter. And the LORDE ſmellyd a ſwete ſavoure and ſayd in his hert: I wyll henceforth no more curſe the erth for mannes ſake⸝ […]"
- 2 the taste experience when a savoury condiment is taken into the mouth wordnet
- 3 The quality which the sense of taste detects; also (countable), a specific flavour or taste, especially one different from the predominant one. UK, uncountable
"[B]y our Sences which conceiue al Colours, Sounds, Sents, Sauors, and Féelings; wée may ſee, heare, ſmell, taſt, and feele, that one ſelfſame workman made both the Sences, and the things that are ſubiect to the Sences."
- 4 The quality which the sense of taste detects; also (countable), a specific flavour or taste, especially one different from the predominant one.; An appealing or appetizing flavour, especially one which is savoury or strong. UK, countable
"Ye are the ſalte of the earth: but if the ſalte haue loſt his ſauour, vvherevvith ſhal it be ſalted? It is thenceforthe good for nothing, but to be caſt out, & to be troden vnder fote of men."
- 5 A distinctive sensation like a flavour or taste, or an aroma or smell. UK, countable, figuratively
"[W]hy is not my life a continual Joy? and the ſavor of Heaven perpetually upon my ſpirit?"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A particular quality, especially a small amount of it; a hint or trace of something. UK, countable, figuratively
"Come ſir, this admiration is much of the ſauour of other your nevv prankes, I doe beſeech you vnderſtand my purpoſes aright, […]"
- 7 A quality which is appealing or enjoyable; merit, value. UK, countable, figuratively
- 8 A reputation. UK, archaic, countable, figuratively
"The LORDE loke vpon you, ⁊ iudge it, for ye haue made the ſauoure of vs to ſtynke before Pharao and his ſeruauntes, and haue geuen them a ſwerde in their handes, to ſlaye vs."
- 9 Enjoyment or taste for something; appreciation; pleasure; relish; (countable) an instance of this. UK, figuratively, uncountable
"Gerald shook his head in the savour of triumph."
- 10 Knowledge; understanding. UK, figuratively, obsolete, uncountable
"[M]any of them were wery of theyr life, beyng very deſyrous of him [Jesus], of whom they had a certeyne ſauour and vnderſtandyng (ſimple though it wer:) who ſodenly ſhould renewe all kynde of men, and theyr ſynnes clerely abolyſhed, bryng them vnto the kyngdõ of righteouſneſſe."
- 1 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. UK, transitive
"He closed his eyes so he could really savour his dessert."
- 2 derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in wordnet
- 3 To give (food or drink) flavour; to flavour, to season. UK, transitive
"What Flesh is fitting for Man to Eat, / Until our Herbs do savour the Meat?"
- 4 taste appreciatively wordnet
- 5 To detect (an aroma or smell, especially an appealing one); to smell. UK, archaic, transitive
"VViſedome and goodnes, to the vild ſeeme vild, / Filths ſauor but themſelues, vvhat haue you done?"
Show 17 more definitions
- 6 give taste to wordnet
- 7 To enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner; to appreciate, to delight in, to relish. UK, figuratively, transitive
"VVhẽ vvickednes vvas ſvvete in his mouthe, & he hid it vnder his tongue, / And ſauoured it, and vvolde not forſake it, but kept it cloſe in his mouth, / Then his meat in his bovvels vvas turned: the gall of aſpes vvas in the middes of hĩ [him]."
- 8 have flavor; taste of something wordnet
- 9 To find (something) appealing; to appreciate, to like. UK, figuratively, transitive
"The man that coueteth gold, conceiueth not goodneſſe, his appetite is of the earth, and thoſe that are earthly minded, ſauour not the things that are of God."
- 10 To possess (a particular, often negative, quality), especially a small amount of it; to be redolent or suggestive of (something). UK, archaic, figuratively, transitive
"No more be mention'd then of violence / Againſt our ſelves, and vvilful barrenneſs, / That cuts us off from hope, and ſavours onely / Rancor and pride, impatience and deſpite, / Reluctance againſt God and his juſt yoke / Laid on our Necks."
- 11 To be appealing to (a person, the senses, etc.). UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive
- 12 To experience, perceive, or understand (something). UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive
"BY novv, perhaps, thou ſauoreſts^([sic – meaning savorest]) ſome Godhead: yeat, is ods. / VVith paſte and preſent times doeſt dreame Pluralitie of Gods. / So did in deed the Monarchies, ſo Miſcreants novv not fevv: / But liſten here vvhat Gods they vvere, and learne them to eſchevv."
- 13 To give (something) a particular quality; to imbue with. UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive
"So theſe olde huddles hauing ouercharged their gorges with fancie, accompte all honeſt recreation méere follly,^([sic]) and hauinge taken a ſurfet of delyght, ſéeme now to ſauor it with deſpight."
- 14 To give (something) an aroma or smell. UK, figuratively, obsolete, rare, transitive
- 15 Followed by out: to detect or find (something). UK, figuratively, obsolete, rare, transitive
- 16 To have a suspicion of (something). UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive
"Siſter, I ſee you ſauour of my vviles, / Be it as you vvill haue for this once, […]"
- 17 Of a thing: to give off a (specified) aroma or smell. UK, archaic, intransitive
"[T]he ſaffrone bagge that hath bene full of ſaffron, or hath had ſaffron in it, doth euer after ſauoure and ſmel of the ſwete ſaffron that it conteyned: […]"
- 18 Of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste. UK, archaic, intransitive, obsolete
"And I purpoſed to try, vvhether thoſe [meats] that pleaſed my taſte brought me commoditie or diſcommoditie; and vvhether that Proverb,[…], That vvhich ſavours, is good and nouriſheth, be conſonant to truth. This upon triall I found moſt falſe: […]"
- 19 To possess a particular (often negative) quality, especially a small amount of it; to be redolent or suggestive of. UK, figuratively, intransitive
"Ol[ivia]. […] Fetch Maluolio hither, / And yet alas, novv I remember me, / They ſay poore Gentleman, he's much diſtract. […] Did he vvrite this? / Clo[wn]. I [aye] Madame. / Du[ke Orsino]. This ſauours not much of diſtraction."
- 20 Chiefly followed by a descriptive word like ill or well: to have a specified quality. UK, archaic, figuratively, intransitive
"What is loathsome to the young / Savours well to thee and me."
- 21 To give off a foul smell; to stink. UK, intransitive, obsolete
- 22 Chiefly followed by to, unto, with, etc.: to be appealing. UK, figuratively, intransitive, obsolete
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).
See also for "savour"
Next best steps
Mini challenge
Unscramble this word: savour