epicure

American  

[ep-i-kyoor] / ˈɛp ɪˌkyʊər /

noun

1. a person who cultivates a refined taste, especially in food and wine; connoisseur.

   Synonyms:

   epicurean, gourmet, gastronome

   Antonyms:

   ascetic

2. Archaic. a person dedicated to sensual enjoyment.

   Synonyms:

   gourmand, sensualist, voluptuary

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epicure British  

/ ˈɛpɪˌkjʊə /

noun

1. a person who cultivates a discriminating palate for the enjoyment of good food and drink; gourmet

2. a person devoted to sensual pleasures

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Other Word Forms

• epicurism noun

Etymology

Origin of epicure

1350–1400 for earlier sense; 1555–65 epicure for def. 2; Middle English Epicures, Epicureis Epicureans (plural) < Latin Epicūrēus (singular) ( see epicurean)

Explanation

We call a person who truly loves food — food at the highest levels — an epicure. Occasionally, you might find the word epicure used for a person who loves something else, but an epicure is usually someone who delights in fine food. Epicurus was the Greek philosopher whom we credit with thinking the most about cooking and food. So any time you see the word epicure, remember that that person follows the philosopher Epicurus and therefore loves food. Being an epicure ain't cheap. Most fine restaurants these days will charge you an arm and a leg for a meal good enough to satisfy a real epicure.

Example Sentences

Connie is an epicure, a gourmand, a bon vivant, a lover and appreciator of fine food and drink.

From Salon • Aug. 27, 2022

The neighborhood is a treasure trove for the epicure or chef.

From Washington Post • Dec. 1, 2021

When we say that what we eat tells us what we are, in keeping with the 19th-century adage of the French epicure Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, most of us speak nostalgically.

From New York Times • Nov. 9, 2020

Jeffrey Merrihue, a marketing expert and “semi-pro” epicure, who had eaten in forty-one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, yelled to his wife, who had been to twenty-eight.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 2, 2015

Miss Honey said, "Do you know what an epicure is, Matilda?"

From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl