Meaning & use
palate
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Meanings
nouncountablemedical
The upper surface inside the mouth, which separates the mouth from the nose.
Grammar: Countable and medical: a cleft palate is a gap in this structure.
Patterns
- the roof of the palate
The dentist checked the palate for sores.
Babies born with a cleft palate often need surgery.
He burned his palate on the hot pizza.
nouncountable
A person's ability to recognize and enjoy different flavors.
Grammar: Usually singular with a possessive or adjective: a refined palate.
Patterns
- a palate for something
The chef has an excellent palate and notices tiny differences in herbs.
Children often have a simple palate.
The wine cleaned the palate between dishes.
nouncountablefigurative
A person's general taste or preference for something, such as food, music, or art.
Grammar: Often followed by for: a palate for adventure.
Patterns
- a palate for something
The band appeals to a more adventurous palate.
He has a palate for dry humor.
Word forms
| plural | palates |
|---|
Common combinations
- a refined palate
- His refined palate can detect any hint of spice.
- cleanse the palate
- A bite of bread helps cleanse the palate.
- suit your palate
- The mild curry may suit your palate.
- a cleft palate
- She was born with a cleft palate.
- please the palate
- The dessert was made to please the palate.
- the soft palate
- The soft palate lies at the back of the mouth.
Synonyms and how they differ
- taste
- Taste is the everyday word and covers both the sense and personal preference, while palate stresses a trained or discerning sense.
- appetite
- Appetite concerns hunger or desire, not the ability to judge flavors.
- discernment
- Discernment is broader and applies to judgment in any field, not just flavor.
- roof of the mouth
- Roof of the mouth is the everyday phrase for the anatomical sense.
Word family
- palatable adjective
- pleasant enough to taste or accept
- palatal adjective
- relating to the palate
- unpalatable adjective
- unpleasant to taste or accept
- palatability noun
- how pleasant something tastes
Commonly confused: palate or palette? palate or pallet?
palate vs palette
A palette is the board an artist mixes paint on, or a range of colors.
palate vs pallet
A pallet is a flat wooden platform for moving goods.
Practice
The sommelier's trained ______ could pick out three grape varieties in the wine.
Choose one answer.
Palate refers to the ability to taste. Palette is for colors and pallet is a shipping platform, even though they sound similar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “palate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.