flavor
Americannoun
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flavors
plural
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taste, especially the distinctive taste of something as it is experienced in the mouth.
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a substance or extract that provides a particular taste; flavoring.
- Synonyms:
- seasoning
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the characteristic quality of a thing.
He captured the flavor of the experience in his book.
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a particular quality noticeable in a thing.
language with a strong nautical flavor.
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Physics. any of the six labels given to the distinct kinds of quark: up, down, strange, charm, bottom, and top.
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Archaic. smell, odor, or aroma.
verb (used with object)
Synonym Usage
See taste.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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preflavornoun
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overflavorverb
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deflavorverb (used with object)
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flavorlessadjective
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unflavoredadjective
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well-flavoredadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A hospital monitor’s flat-line drone dissolved into an orchestral beginning, suggesting a return to life; hand-drum rhythms injected Mexican flavor, while bells and mallet instruments supplied some otherworldly touches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Sometimes I want the lemon flavor to be the whole point: a lemony avgolemono, for instance, or a chicken stew that tastes unabashedly citrusy.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
Overseeing such a diverse mix is obviously too big a job for one person so Ellison added yet another flavor by drafting Ynon Kreiz as co-chief executive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
These products may contain ingredients including preservatives, artificial coloring, flavor enhancers, and emulsifiers.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
The pastry covering offers muted flavor before the spiced potatoes explode in taste, tangy and hot.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Some autumnal ale: It can be delightful when craft breweries churn out seasonally inspired flavors, but what happens when we start being served pumpkin beer in August, or Christmas beer before Halloween?
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
Folded within are the Jujube bits made of red dates that deliver the floral and fruit flavors the brand is known for.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
At retailers and online, it can be found marketed in flavors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Year: 2022 Compiled by: Cheyna Roth Of note: The flavors include such choice options as “Caesar salad.”
From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026
Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and other flavors smeared their mouths as they shoveled down spoonful after spoonful, not even bothering to acknowledge his presence.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
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