Word: savour Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English savouren, savour, from Anglo-Norman savorer, savourer, Middle French savorer, savourer, and Old French savorer, savourer (modern French savourer), from Late Latin sapōrāre, the present active infinitive of sapōrō (“to give flavour, make tasty; to give pleasure”), from Latin sapor (see etymology 1) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs). Pronunciation: /ˈseɪvə/, /ˈseɪvəɹ/ 1. To detect (a flavour or taste, or food or drink); to taste; specifically, to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink); to relish. Labels: UK, transitive Example: He closed his eyes so he could really savour his dessert. 2. To give (food or drink) flavour; to flavour, to season. Labels: UK, transitive Example: What Flesh is fitting for Man to Eat, / Until our Herbs do savour the Meat? Example: [S]alt they had none; the ashes of a species of palm was their substitute, and this could only be used for savouring food, not for curing it. 3. To detect (an aroma or smell, especially an appealing one); to smell. Labels: UK, archaic, transitive Example: VViſedome and goodnes, to the vild ſeeme vild, / Filths ſauor but themſelues, vvhat haue you done? 4. To enjoy (something) deeply or in a lingering manner; to appreciate, to delight in, to relish. Labels: UK, figuratively, transitive Example: VVhẽ vvickednes vvas ſvvete in his mouthe, & he hid it vnder his tongue, / And ſauoured it, and vvolde not forſake it, but kept it cloſe in his mouth, / Then his meat in his bovvels vvas turned: the gall of aſpes vvas in the middes of hĩ [him]. Example: [L]et me savor the sweetness of the name of Jesus as Thou [the Virgin Mary] savoredst it in thy heart, for it is just and meet, right and for our salvation, Queen of Heaven, thrice-blessed . . . 5. To find (something) appealing; to appreciate, to like. Labels: UK, figuratively, transitive Example: The man that coueteth gold, conceiueth not goodneſſe, his appetite is of the earth, and thoſe that are earthly minded, ſauour not the things that are of God. Example: Here, ſtalkes me by a proud, and ſpangled ſir, / That lookes three hand-fuls higher then his fore-top; / Sauours himſelfe alone, is onely kind / And louing to himſelfe: […] 6. To possess (a particular, often negative, quality), especially a small amount of it; to be redolent or suggestive of (something). Labels: UK, archaic, figuratively, transitive Example: No more be mention'd then of violence / Againſt our ſelves, and vvilful barrenneſs, / That cuts us off from hope, and ſavours onely / Rancor and pride, impatience and deſpite, / Reluctance againſt God and his juſt yoke / Laid on our Necks. 7. To be appealing to (a person, the senses, etc.). Labels: UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive 8. To experience, perceive, or understand (something). Labels: UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive Example: BY novv, perhaps, thou ſauoreſts^([sic – meaning savorest]) ſome Godhead: yeat, is ods. / VVith paſte and preſent times doeſt dreame Pluralitie of Gods. / So did in deed the Monarchies, ſo Miſcreants novv not fevv: / But liſten here vvhat Gods they vvere, and learne them to eſchevv. Example: [H]e [Jesus] turned, and ſaid vnto Peter, Get thee behind mee, Satan, thou sart an offence vnto me: for thou ſauoureſt not the things that be of God, but thoſe that be of men. 9. To give (something) a particular quality; to imbue with. Labels: UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive Example: So theſe olde huddles hauing ouercharged their gorges with fancie, accompte all honeſt recreation méere follly,^([sic]) and hauinge taken a ſurfet of delyght, ſéeme now to ſauor it with deſpight. 10. To give (something) an aroma or smell. Labels: UK, figuratively, obsolete, rare, transitive 11. Followed by out: to detect or find (something). Labels: UK, figuratively, obsolete, rare, transitive 12. To have a suspicion of (something). Labels: UK, figuratively, obsolete, transitive Example: Siſter, I ſee you ſauour of my vviles, / Be it as you vvill haue for this once, […] 13. Of a thing: to give off a (specified) aroma or smell. Labels: UK, archaic, intransitive Example: [T]he ſaffrone bagge that hath bene full of ſaffron, or hath had ſaffron in it, doth euer after ſauoure and ſmel of the ſwete ſaffron that it conteyned: […] Example: [I]t [Parthenium] bringeth forth a vvhite floure, ſavouring like an apple, and having a bitter taſt. 14. Of food or drink: to have a specified (especially appealing) flavour or taste. Labels: UK, archaic, intransitive, obsolete Example: And I purpoſed to try, vvhether thoſe [meats] that pleaſed my taſte brought me commoditie or diſcommoditie; and vvhether that Proverb,[…], That vvhich ſavours, is good and nouriſheth, be conſonant to truth. This upon triall I found moſt falſe: […] Example: We will go to the hall, and partake of the food which I ween steameth up and savoreth well of marjoram and thyme. 15. To possess a particular (often negative) quality, especially a small amount of it; to be redolent or suggestive of. Labels: UK, figuratively, intransitive Example: Ol[ivia]. […] Fetch Maluolio hither, / And yet alas, novv I remember me, / They ſay poore Gentleman, he's much diſtract. […] Did he vvrite this? / Clo[wn]. I [aye] Madame. / Du[ke Orsino]. This ſauours not much of diſtraction. Example: In ſuch a ſeaſon, vvhen the Idle Humerous vvorld muſt heare of nothing, that either ſauors of Antiquity, or may avvake it to ſeeke after more, then dull and ſlothfull ignorance may eaſily reach vnto: […] 16. Chiefly followed by a descriptive word like ill or well: to have a specified quality. Labels: UK, archaic, figuratively, intransitive Example: What is loathsome to the young / Savours well to thee and me. Example: Leaping from the tower of Beaurevoir into the ditch and preferring death to falling into the hands of the English, after the Voices had forbidden it.—This was pusillanimity, tending to desperation and suicide; and in saying that God had forgiven it, "thou savorest ill as to human free-will." 17. To give off a foul smell; to stink. Labels: UK, intransitive, obsolete 18. Chiefly followed by to, unto, with, etc.: to be appealing. Labels: UK, figuratively, intransitive, obsolete