noun
Meaning 1
An aroma or smell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
savour
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈseɪvə/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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General-American: /ˈseɪvəɹ/
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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homophone: saver
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rhymes with -eɪvə(ɹ)
noun
Meaning 2
The quality which the sense of taste detects; also (countable), a specific flavour or taste, especially one different from the predominant one.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A distinctive sensation like a flavour or taste, or an aroma or smell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A particular quality, especially a small amount of it; a hint or trace of something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tinge
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A quality which is appealing or enjoyable; merit, value.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
A reputation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, archaic, countable, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
Enjoyment or taste for something; appreciation; pleasure; relish; (countable) an instance of this.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
Knowledge; understanding.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 10
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, transitive
Examples
- He closed his eyes so he could really savour his dessert.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 11
To give (food or drink) flavour; to flavour, to season.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 12
To detect (an aroma or smell, especially an appealing one); to smell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, archaic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 13
To enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner; to appreciate, to delight in, to relish.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 14
To find (something) appealing; to appreciate, to like.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: care for
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 15
To possess (a particular, often negative, quality), especially a small amount of it; to be redolent or suggestive of (something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, archaic, figuratively, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 16
To be appealing to (a person, the senses, etc.).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 17
To experience, perceive, or understand (something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 18
To give (something) a particular quality; to imbue with.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 19
To give (something) an aroma or smell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, obsolete, rare, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 20
Followed by out: to detect or find (something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, obsolete, rare, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 21
To have a suspicion of (something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive
Qualifier: uncertain
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 22
Of a thing: to give off a (specified) aroma or smell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, archaic, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 23
Of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, archaic, intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 24
To possess a particular (often negative) quality, especially a small amount of it; to be redolent or suggestive of.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 25
Chiefly followed by a descriptive word like ill or well: to have a specified quality.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, archaic, figuratively, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 26
To give off a foul smell; to stink.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 27
Chiefly followed by to, unto, with, etc.: to be appealing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, figuratively, intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 28
the taste experience when a savoury condiment is taken into the mouth
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: relish, flavor, flavour, sapidity, savor, smack, nip, tang
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: taste, taste sensation, gustatory sensation, taste perception, gustatory perception
Narrower terms: lemon, vanilla
verb
Meaning 29
derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- She relished her fame and basked in her glory
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: enjoy, bask, relish, savor
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: feast one's eyes, devour
verb
Meaning 30
taste appreciatively
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- savor the soup
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: savor
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: taste
verb
Meaning 31
give taste to
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: savor
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: season, flavor, flavour
verb
Meaning 32
have flavor; taste of something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: taste, savor
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: smack, taste
History
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).
Across languages
Translations
100 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Finnish: maku — quality which the sense of taste detects
- Bulgarian: вкус (vkus) — specific flavour or taste
- Finnish: aromi — specific flavour or taste
- Finnish: maku — specific flavour or taste
- German: Aroma — specific flavour or taste
- German: Geschmack — specific flavour or taste
- Ido: savuro — specific flavour or taste
- Italian: sapore — specific flavour or taste
- Latin: sapor — specific flavour or taste
- Māori: konakona — specific flavour or taste
- Norwegian Bokmål: smak — specific flavour or taste
- Norwegian Nynorsk: smak — specific flavour or taste
- Portuguese: sabor — specific flavour or taste
- Russian: при́вкус (prívkus) — specific flavour or taste
- Russian: вкус (vkus) — specific flavour or taste
- Swedish: smak — specific flavour or taste
- Turkish: çeşni — specific flavour or taste
- Ottoman Turkish: لذت (lezzet) — specific flavour or taste
- Ottoman Turkish: طات (tat) — specific flavour or taste
- Finnish: maku — appealing or appetizing flavour
- Finnish: viehätys — distinctive sensation like a flavour or taste, or an aroma or smell
- Finnish: sivumaku — distinctive sensation like a flavour or taste, or an aroma or smell
- Finnish: mielenkiinto — distinctive sensation like a flavour or taste, or an aroma or smell
- Ido: savuro — distinctive sensation like a flavour or taste, or an aroma or smell
- Norwegian Bokmål: smak — distinctive sensation like a flavour or taste, or an aroma or smell
- Norwegian Nynorsk: smak — distinctive sensation like a flavour or taste, or an aroma or smell
- Chinese Mandarin: 品味 (pǐnwèi) — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Danish: nyde — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Dutch: genieten — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Dutch: smaken — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Dutch: smullen — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Esperanto: frandi — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Finnish: herkutella — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Finnish: nautiskella — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- French: savourer — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- French: se délecter — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Friulian: gustâ — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Galician: gorentar — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- German: genießen — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- German: reizvoll finden — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- German: sich schmecken lassen — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Icelandic: njóta — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Norwegian: nyte — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Polish: delektować się — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Polish: smakować — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Portuguese: saborear — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Portuguese: sentir prazer em — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Russian: смакова́ть (smakovátʹ) — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Scottish Gaelic: gabh tlachd ann — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Spanish: saborear — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Spanish: deleitarse — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Swedish: avnjuta — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Tamil: ருசி (ruci) — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Ukrainian: смакувати (smakuvaty) — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Vietnamese: ăn ngon miệng — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Yámana: tatamā-kurū — to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink)
- Armenian: անուշ անել (anuš anel) — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Armenian: համը տեսնել (hamə tesnel) — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Bulgarian: наслаждавам се (naslaždavam se) — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Catalan: assaborir — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Finnish: nautiskella — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Finnish: nauttia — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- French: savourer — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- French: déguster — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Galician: saborear — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Galician: gorentar — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- German: auskosten — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- German: genießen — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Ido: savurar — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Indonesian: menikmati — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Italian: assaporare — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Italian: degustare — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Norwegian Bokmål: nyte — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Norwegian Nynorsk: nyta — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Portuguese: saborear — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Romanian: da gust — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Russian: наслажда́ться (naslaždátʹsja) — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Russian: смакова́ть (smakovátʹ) — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Serbo-Croatian: ужи́вати — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Serbo-Croatian: užívati — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Spanish: saborear — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Swedish: avnjuta — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Swedish: njuta av — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Turkish: tadını çıkarmak — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Vietnamese: ăn ngon miệng — to enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner — see also appreciate, delight in, relish
- Finnish: haiskahtaa — (transitive) to possess (a particular, often negative, quality), especially a small amount of it; (intransitive) to possess a particular (often negative) quality, especially a small amount of it
- Finnish: haista — of a thing: to give off a (specified) aroma or smell
- Finnish: maistua — of a thing: to give off a (specified) aroma or smell
- German: riechen — of a thing: to give off a (specified) aroma or smell
- Bulgarian: имам вкус на (imam vkus na) — of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste
- Finnish: vivahtaa — of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste
- Galician: gorentar — of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste
- German: schmecken — of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste
- Ido: savurar — of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste
- Italian: assaporare — of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste
- Norwegian: smake — of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste
- Russian: име́ть при́вкус (imétʹ prívkus) — of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste
- Russian: име́ть вкус (imétʹ vkus) — of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste
- Swedish: smaka — of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste
- Finnish: vivahtaa — to have a specified quality