Word
taster
US/ˈteɪstɝ/
UK/tˈeɪstɐ/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a person or animal that tries a small amount of food or drink to see if it is safe or good. In science, it can also mean a small sample of something to test its quality.
n. an individual who samples a substance, typically food or drink, to assess its quality or safety. In a biological context, it refers to an organism that consumes a small quantity of a substance to determine its palatability or toxicity.
Examples
“The chef offered a small taster of the new dessert to the guests.”
“The restaurant provides a complimentary taster of their signature dish to every customer who enters the dining room.”
“In evolutionary biology, the ability to detect bitter compounds often serves as a survival mechanism, allowing a taster to avoid potentially toxic plants before consuming them in larger quantities.”
Examples
simple
“The chef offered a small taster of the new dessert to the guests.”
contextual
“The restaurant provides a complimentary taster of their signature dish to every customer who enters the dining room.”
complex
“In evolutionary biology, the ability to detect bitter compounds often serves as a survival mechanism, allowing a taster to avoid potentially toxic plants before consuming them in larger quantities.”
Real-World Examples
“Radhika*, 22, a medicine student at Queen’s University Belfast, advises freshers to first ask for taster sessions before joining any clubs.” “Despite being $800 more than the nearest rival, it produced overheated milk and technically flawed shots that neither of our professional tasters enjoyed.” “Steve Cuevas is 2017’s US Cup Tasters Champion, which means he had to identify different coffees and their qualities by taste and smell alone.” “Alves, a Portuguese native who began as a wine taster and viticultural specialist, says that coffee is in some ways more complex than wine.” Etymology
From Middle English taster; equivalent to taste + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/taster