palate

From Middle English palate, from Latin palātum (“roof of the mouth, palate”), perhaps of Etruscan origin.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpæl.ət/

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ælət

palate (plural palates)

1. (anatomy) The roof of the mouth, separating the cavities of the mouth and nose in vertebrates.

   Synonym: uraniscus

   Hyponyms: hard palate, soft palate

   1. (zoology) A part associated with the mouth of certain invertebrates, somewhat analagous to the palate of vertebrates.
   2. (entomology, rare) The hypopharynx of an insect.
   3. (botany) A projection in the throat of certain bilabiate flowers as the snapdragon.
   4. (cooking, historical) The palate of an animal, as an item of food.
      • 1791, James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson, Oxford, page 332:

        I remember, when he was in Scotland, his praising ‘Gordon's palates’ (a dish of palates at the Honourable Alexander Gordon's) with a warmth of expression which might have done for honour to more important subjects.

2. (figuratively) A person's ability to distinguish between and appreciate different flavors.
   • 1733–1737, Alexander Pope, , London: R Dodsley :

     Hard task! to hit the palate of such guests.

3. (figuratively) Mental relish; a liking or affinity for something.
   • 1656, Thomas Baker, he Wicked Mans Plot Defeated:

     entertain the palates of Nobles

4. Taste or flavour, especially with reference to wine or other alcoholic drinks.
5. (obsolete) A dainty article of food.
   • 1791, James Boswell, Life of Johnson:

     I remember, when he was in Scotland, his praising 'Gordon's palates,' (a dish of palates at the Honourable Alexander Gordon's) with a warmth of expression which might have done honour to more important subjects.

• palatine (adjective)

palate (third-person singular simple present palates, present participle palating, simple past and past participle palated)

1. (transitive, nonstandard) To relish; to find palatable.

   Synonym: stomach

   • c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

     Not palating the taste of her dishonour

   • 2013 October 10, Adam Mann, “Number Crunching Shows Old Movies Are More Creative Than New Ones”, in WIRED‎:

     "If it’s way out there, it’s hard to palate," said Sreenivasan.

• palatable (adjective)

• “palate”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “palate”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

• Platea, leap at, paleta, patela, petala

palate f

1. plural of palata

palate

1. inflection of palare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

palate f pl

1. feminine plural of palato

• pelata, platea

pālāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of pālō

• palet, palat, palette, palete

From Old French palat, from Latin palātum.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpalat/, /ˈpalət/

palate

1. The palate; the top of the mouth (including the uvula).
2. One's sense of taste (the palate was believed to be the source of this).

• English: palate

• “palat(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-20.

palate n pl

1. plural of palat