savour
SAY-vur
/ˈseɪ.və/
To taste or enjoy food or drink slowly in order to appreciate its full flavor; to relish an experience.
Emphasizes mindful, deliberate appreciation rather than rushed or mindless consumption.
The story behind the word. Traced back to Latin sapere (which meant both 'to taste' and 'to be wise'—the origin of Homo sapiens!), the word traveled through Old French savourer into English, capturing the wisdom of taking time to thoroughly taste life.
Word relationships
- relish: Relish emphasizes keen enthusiasm or emotional joy during an experience.
- taste: Taste is simply sensing flavor, while savour implies slow, attentive appreciation.
- gulp: Swallowing food or liquid greedily and quickly without tasting.
Commonly confused with
- savor: 'Savor' is the American English spelling variant of British English 'savour'.
Word family
- savoury (adjective): Having a pleasant, salty, or spicy taste (not sweet).
Collocations
- savour the flavor
- savour every sip
- savour the moment
Idioms & expressions
- savour the moment
Example sentences
- "The cicerone encouraged guests to savour each sip of the barrel-aged imperial stout to identify subtle chocolate notes." Tasting experience
Memory hook
SAVOUR every SAVORY flavor slowly. Slowly enjoy every sip or bite.
When not to use
Do not use for rapid gulping or eating food hastily without attention.
Fun facts
- The Latin root sapere links tasting with wisdom—implying that a refined palate and wise judgment share the exact same root!
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