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taste bud

taste bud

23 2.1
Small bumps on the tongue that sense sweet, sour, salty, and bitter
  • noun
  • /teɪst bʌd/
translation icon : papila gustativa
  • When I tasted the chocolate cake, my taste buds were overwhelmed by its rich sweetness.
  • tickle your taste buds
  • tantalize the taste buds
  • tempt your taste buds

Cayenne only effects mammals because they have taste buds that can sense capsaicin.

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Examples

  • Prepare your taste buds for a Scoob-Shag specialty.

  • You grow older, your taste buds change, your sensitivities change.

  • I mean, and it's just such a hit on the taste buds that people just love it, you know?

  • You should open your mind and your taste buds a bit more, Michael.

  • My taste buds are half dead.

  • Your taste buds will dance and sing.

  • But we need to think beyond our own taste buds to look at the wider picture.

  • That should perk up the taste buds for the evening.

  • Together they make a smooth but fresh drink that makes your taste buds pucker.

    Blog text (19)
  • Once you find a recipe that gets your taste buds dancing, save it to your favorites.

    Blog text (4)

Synonyms

tastebud
vstaste bud
1 2.2

A small part on the tongue that senses taste

is the same meaning but written as a single word
gustatory organ
vstaste bud
  • Specialized
6.6

A small part on the tongue that senses taste, like a taste bud

is broader covering any tongue sensory structure rather than only the small organ

Surface Forms

taste bud singular
taste buds plural

Morphology

taste + bud

The meaning 'a small sensory organ on the tongue' is directly and transparently composed from 'taste' (flavor perception) + 'bud' (a small protuberance), so the overall sense is a small structure related to taste. Although 'bud' is often taught with a botanical sense, the general idea of a small rounded growth is accessible and this compound pattern is cross-linguistically common, making it inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

The word taste bud comes from the tiny, bump-like buds on the tongue that help us sense taste. That's why the name means a small part that lets you notice different flavors.