English Reference
noun · verb

flavor

n. · v.
US /ˈfɫeɪvɝ/ UK /flˈeɪvɐ/ fla·vor UK spelling flavors, flavour

  1. 01 A2 Elementary American English

    n.a specific type of taste, like chocolate or vanilla.

    n.a specific category of taste attributed to a food, beverage, or medication.

    Simple

    Which flavor of ice cream would you like for dessert?

    In context

    The manufacturer expanded the product line to include a spicy lime flavor, targeting a younger demographic interested in bold snacks.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate American English

    n.the special feeling or quality that something has.

    n.the distinctive or characteristic quality of a place, time, or activity.

    Simple

    The street performers give the city a very international flavor.

    In context

    The director incorporated traditional folk instruments to give the film's soundtrack an authentic regional flavor.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate American EnglishInformal

    n.a particular version or type of something, like a software program.

    n.a specific variety or version of a concept, system, or object.

    Simple

    The company offers several different flavors of its accounting software.

    In context

    While the core engine remains the same, the operating system is available in several flavors tailored for different hardware architectures.

  4. 04 C2 Proficiency American EnglishTechnical Science

    n.a way to describe different types of tiny particles in science.

    n.a quantum number of elementary particles, relating to their weak interaction.

    Simple

    Quarks come in six different flavors, including 'up' and 'down'.

    In context

    In the Standard Model, flavor physics explores the interactions that allow quarks to change from one flavor to another via the weak force.

  5. 05 B1 Intermediate American English Cooking

    v.to add herbs, spices, or other things to food to make it taste better.

    v.to impart a particular taste to food or drink by adding ingredients.

    Simple

    You can flavor the soup with a little bit of fresh basil.

    In context

    The chef chose to flavor the reduction with star anise, providing a subtle licorice note that complemented the roasted duck.


From Middle English flavour meaning “smell, odour”, usually pleasing, borrowed from Old French flaour (“smell, odour”) (cfr. Sicilian ciàguru, its etymology and semantic), from Vulgar Latin flātor (“odour, that which blows”), from Latin flātor (“blower”), from flō, flāre (“to blow, puff”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₁- (“to blow”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to make a loud noise”). Doublet of blow and bleat.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin ine-pro *bʰel-
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Common
Updated