Definition

1. Noun:

   • The distinctive taste of a food or drink: "Flavor" refers to the sensory impression perceived in the mouth when eating or drinking, often a combination of taste and smell.
   • A particular quality or character: "Flavor" can describe the distinctive atmosphere, feeling, or character of a place, situation, or creative work.
   • (Physics) A property of quarks: In particle physics, "flavor" is a quantum number that distinguishes different types of quarks (e.g., up, down, charm).

2. Verb:

   • To give taste or character to something: "Flavor" means to add a distinctive taste, quality, or character to something, typically food or drink.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • This ice cream has a rich chocolate flavor. (The ice cream possesses a strong chocolate taste.)
  • The old bookstore had a nostalgic flavor. (The bookstore had a distinctive nostalgic character.)
  • The six quark flavors include up, down, and strange. (In physics, the types include up, down, and strange.)

• Verb:

  • She flavored the sauce with fresh herbs. (She added fresh herbs to give taste to the sauce.)
  • His stories are flavored with humor. (His stories are given character by humor.)

Advanced Usage

• "Flavor of the month": A person or thing that is currently very popular or fashionable, but often temporarily.
  • That diet is just the flavor of the month; it will be forgotten soon.
• To add flavor to: To make something more interesting or enjoyable.
  • Spices add flavor to life.
• A flavor of something: A suggestion or hint of a particular quality.
  • The design has a flavor of the 1920s.

Variants and Related Words

• Flavorful (adj): Full of flavor; tasty.
  • The stew was very flavorful.
• Flavorless (adj): Lacking flavor; bland.
  • The soup was flavorless without salt.
• Flavoring (n): A substance used to give a particular taste to food or drink.
  • Vanilla is a common flavoring for desserts.

Synonyms

• Noun (taste): Taste, savor, tang, zest.
• Noun (character): Character, atmosphere, feel, tone, spirit.
• Verb: Season, spice, infuse, imbue.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Flavor" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its verbal use is typically transitive.)

Related Idioms

• "Flavor of the week": Similar to "flavor of the month," indicating a short-lived trend or popularity.
  • He's the manager's favorite now, but he's just the flavor of the week.

Noun

1. (physics) the six kinds of quarks
2. the taste experience when a savoury condiment is taken into the mouth
3. the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people
   • the feel of the city excited him
   • a clergyman improved the tone of the meeting
   • it had the smell of treason

Verb

1. lend flavor to
   • Season the chicken breast after roasting it