palate

[pal-it]

noun

1. Anatomy.,  the roof of the mouth, consisting of an anterior bony portion hard palate and a posterior muscular portion soft palate, orvelum that separate the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.

2. the sense of taste.

   It was a dinner to delight the palate.

3. intellectual or aesthetic taste; mental appreciation.

   She is said to have a discriminating palate for the arts.

verb (used with object)

1. to find pleasing to the taste.

   My friend was very ill and could not palate much of anything.

2. to find acceptable or agreeable to the mind or feelings.

   Your position is hard to palate, because I believe there is such a thing as objective morality.

palate

/ ˈpælɪt /

noun

1. the roof of the mouth, separating the oral and nasal cavities See hard palate soft palate

2. the sense of taste

   she had no palate for the wine

3. relish or enjoyment

4. botany (in some two-lipped corollas) the projecting part of the lower lip that closes the opening of the corolla

palate

1. The roof of the mouth in vertebrate animals, separating the mouth from the passages of the nose.

2. ◆ The bony part of the palate is called the hard palate.

3. ◆ A soft, flexible, rear portion of the palate, called the soft palate, is present in mammals only and serves to close off the mouth from the nose during swallowing.

palate

1. The roof of the mouth. The palate separates the mouth from the nasal cavity.

Confusables Note

See palette pallet 1

It is sometimes said that a person has a “cultivated palate” if he or she has a discerning taste for food.

Other Word Forms

• palateless adjective
• palatelike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of palate¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English palat, from Latin palātum “roof of the mouth”

Word History and Origins

Origin of palate¹

C14: from Latin palātum, perhaps of Etruscan origin

Example Sentences

I have a toddler’s palate, so I prefer a sweet coffee drink.

From Los Angeles Times

“The smaller tours cleansed the palate for me and were fun for my band and the hardcore fans,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

She said the relatively cool climate means Vale Vineyard's award-winning wine is "fruit forward" with "lots of different flavours coming out on the palate".

From BBC

But Harry's less adventurous palate also gets a mention.

From BBC

And it is diverse, which makes it a great test kitchen for very different palates, from South Asian to European.

From BBC

Related Words

• bias 
• partiality 
• penchant 
• tendency 

When To Use

What’s the difference between palate, palette, and pallet?

The word palate refers to the roof of the mouth. More figuratively, palate can refer to a person’s particular sense of taste (as in the way they perceive flavors), or to a person’s general, intellectual taste (as in their specific preferences for things). A palette is that board that painters keep their paints on while painting (most traditionally, an oval one with a thumbhole for holding). The word pallet most commonly refers to a flat, square (often wood) platform used to hold goods for shipping (it’s sometimes called a skid).All three of these words are pronounced exactly the same, and they’re always used as nouns.The word palette is closely associated with art and color. It can also refer to a collection or range of colors or techniques. For example, the term color palette refers to a specific set of colors, such as the ones that a particular artist typically works with.The word pallet can sometimes be used to refer to a painter’s palette, but this spelling is much less commonly used.So how to keep all three spellings straight?A palette is the thing a painter always keeps on hand—literally—while painting. In this way, you can think of a painter’s palette (which is spelled with one L) as a painter’s pal.A pallet (ending in -let) is the platform that lets shippers easily transport goods.Think of palate (ending in -ate) as a word related to what you ate.Here’s an example of palate, palette, and pallet used correctly in a sentence.Example: The art installation consists of wooden pallets painted in a vibrant palette of colors—it’s interesting, but it’s not quite suited to my palate. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between palate, palette, and pallet.