flavor

views updated May 11 2018

fla·vor / ˈflāvər/ (Brit. fla·vour) • n. 1. the distinctive quality of a particular food or drink as perceived by the taste buds and the sense of smell: the chips come in pizza and barbecue flavors. ∎  the general quality of taste in a food: no other cracker adds so much flavor to cheese or peanut butter. ∎  a substance used to alter or enhance the taste of food or drink; a flavoring: we use vanilla and almond flavors. ∎  [in sing.] fig. an indefinable distinctive quality of something: this year's seminars have a European flavor. ∎  [in sing.] fig. an indication of the essential character of something: the extracts give a flavor of the content and tone of the conversation.2. Physics a quantized property of quarks that differentiates them into at least six varieties (up, down, charmed, strange, top, bottom). Compare with color.• v. [tr.] alter or enhance the taste of (food or drink) by adding a particular ingredient: they use a wide range of spices to flavor their foods chunks of chicken flavored with herbs. ∎ fig. give a distinctive quality to: the faint exasperation that had flavored her tone.PHRASES: flavor of the month a person or thing that enjoys a short period of great popularity: for many law firms, Hong Kong was a flavor of the month.DERIVATIVES: fla·vor·ful / -fəl/ adj.fla·vor·less adj.fla·vor·some / -səm/ adj.

flavour

views updated May 11 2018

flavour See taste; organoleptic.

flavour

views updated May 23 2018

flavour smell, aroma XIV; element in the taste of a substance depending on the sense of smell XVII. — OF. flaor, infl. by savour.