flavor

American  

[fley-ver] / ˈfleɪ vər /

especially British, flavour

noun

flavors plural

1. taste, especially the distinctive taste of something as it is experienced in the mouth.

2. a substance or extract that provides a particular taste; flavoring.

   Synonyms:

   seasoning

3. the characteristic quality of a thing.

   He captured the flavor of the experience in his book.

   Synonyms:

   spirit, essence

4. a particular quality noticeable in a thing.

   language with a strong nautical flavor.

5. Physics. any of the six labels given to the distinct kinds of quark: up, down, strange, charm, bottom, and top.

6. Archaic. smell, odor, or aroma.

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verb (used with object)

1. to give flavor to (something).

flavor Scientific  

/ flā′vər /

1. Any of six classifications of quark varieties, distinguished by mass and electric charge. The flavors have the names up, down, strange, charm, top, and bottom. Protons in atomic nuclei are composed of two up quarks and one down quark, while neutrons consist of one up quark and two down quarks. The flavor of a quark may be changed in interactions involving the weak force.

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Synonym Usage

See taste.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preflavor
  noun
• overflavor
  verb
• deflavor
  verb (used with object)
• flavorless
  adjective
• unflavored
  adjective
• well-flavored
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• flavors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of flavor

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French fla(o)ur, from unattested Late Latin flātor “stench, breath,” alteration of Latin flātus a “blowing, breathing,” ( see flatus), perhaps with -or of fētor fetor

Explanation

Flavor is the way something tastes. If an ice cream shop offers 50 flavors, each one of them will taste different. The flavor of your soup can be adjusted by adding salt — and when you add ingredients to change a food's taste, you can say you flavor it. From the flavor of food comes the sense of flavor meaning "atmosphere" or "feeling." You could say, for example, that you're not crazy about a particular clothing shop because it has such a glitzy, expensive flavor. Flavor initially meant "smell," from the Vulgar Latin flator, "odor."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flavor flavors

Instead of the mechanical rituals of the modern Election Day, it would have added a unique flavor to politics in 2026.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Choose whatever farmers market flavor is calling to you—apricot, sour cherry, blackberry and red plum would all be excellent this time of year.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

I grew up on Maruchan’s chicken flavor ramen noodles, which are my go-to for making soups.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

Today, the chef, a native of France, is working long days at a foie gras farm in northeast China trying to nail the perfect, mouthwatering flavor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

"Did you come up with a flavor for the contest?"

From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene

He also plans to launch new flavors of the brand’s famous lemonade.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Drinking caffeinated coffee without added sugars, flavors, or cream was associated with lower risks of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and some irregular heart rhythms.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026

There are endless kinds, each one different depending on where it was drilled, the same way different fruits have different flavors and nutrients.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

In the mid 2000s, buzzy brands like Pinkberry and Red Mango brought fro-yo back to the forefront with distinctly tart flavors, fresh fruit toppings and celebrity followings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

Before the lion could stop gagging, I shot in two more flavors of ice cream and a freeze-dried spaghetti dinner.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• acidity
• aroma
• essence
• extract
• seasoning
• sweetness
• zest