gustatory

adjective

gus·​ta·​to·​ry ˈgə-stə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce gustatory (audio)
: relating to or associated with eating or the sense of taste
gustatorily adverb

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Gustatory is a member of a finite set of words that describe the senses with which we encounter our world, the other members being visual, aural, olfactory, and tactile. Like its peers, gustatory has its roots in Latin—in this case, the Latin word gustare, meaning "to taste." Gustare is a somewhat distant relative of several common English words, among them choose and disgust, but it is a direct ancestor of gustatory, gustation, meaning "the act or sensation of tasting," and degustation, meaning "the action or an instance of tasting especially in a series of small portions."

Examples of gustatory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Extreme gustatory indulgence is also popular at Milkcraft, which has locations in West Hartford Center, Fairfield and, most recently, New Haven. Deborah Hornblow, courant.com, 3 July 2019 San Diego’s craft beer culture puts itself at a gustatory disadvantage: Many beers made in the county don’t fall under the official guidelines. Daniel Wheaton, sandiegouniontribune.com, 6 Oct. 2017 There was a coldness to the experience, a sense that all the sous vide–ing and mise en place–ing and tweezering had somehow frozen the joy, the gustatory pleasure, the hot, messy act of cooking. Julia Kramer, Bon Appetit, 8 June 2017 Behind her in the assembly line, a potbellied man in his late 30s peppers her with the gustatory queries that pass for small talk in south India. Ellen Barry, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2016 Who knows how many dodos were killed to satisfy gustatory curiosity? Brian Switek, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2011 My gustatory goal for the weekend was to visit the two best barbecue joints in Dallas. Andy Staples, SI.com, 30 June 2017 There was a coldness to the experience, a sense that all the sous vide–ing and mise en place–ing and tweezering had somehow frozen the joy, the gustatory pleasure, the hot, messy act of cooking. Julia Kramer, Bon Appetit, 8 June 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gustatory was in 1684

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Dictionary Entries Near gustatory

Cite this Entry

“Gustatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gustatory. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

gustatory

adjective
gus·​ta·​to·​ry ˈgəs-tə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce gustatory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
: relating to, associated with, or being the sense or sensation of taste

Medical Definition

gustatory

adjective
gus·​ta·​to·​ry ˈgəs-tə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- How to pronounce gustatory (audio)
: relating to, affecting, associated with, or being the sense of taste
gustatory nerves
gustatory stimulation
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